Later this month, 6 mechanics, truck drivers, yardmen, and shop foremen employed by Sunbelt Rentals, Inc. in Fraser, Michigan will vote on whether or not to join a union. In response, Sunbelt Rentals brought in a union-busting consultant (i.e., “anti-union persuader”) to combat the organizing effort. According to reliable sources, the union-buster, whose name is Jon J. Burress, has been in Fraser, Michigan since early April, primarily badgering workers during daily safety meetings employees are required to attend, as well as training a branch manager in how to assist in the union-busting efforts. Captive audience meetings and coordination with management to suppress workers’ voices are two of the most common union-busting tactics used by labor relations consultants.
Earlier this week, LaborLab requested that the U.S. Department of Labor investigate Burress’ presence at Sunbelt Rentals. Under the law, anti-union persuaders must disclose the terms and conditions of their union-busting engagements. These disclosures, which must include how much the union-buster is being paid, exist to ensure workers have a clear and transparent understanding of their employers’ efforts to limit the voice of workers in terms of workplace conditions, compensation, and benefits. To date, Burress has not filed a disclosure with the Department of Labor, thus denying employees information they are entitled to.
Here is what we do know: Burress was Financial Secretary Treasurer and Business Manager of Sheet Metal Workers International Union Local 67. He formerly sat on the Mechanical Plumbing and Solar Board at the City of Austin and was fired from the San Antonio Building & Construction Trades Council. According to one past disclosure, Burress charges at least $150 an hour for his anti-union services; however, it’s likely Sunbelt Rentals is paying much more than that amount. According to an AFT flyer, Burress was accused by Local 67 of embezzling $51,000. While LaborLab was not able to independently verify the flyer’s claim, Burress would not be the first union organizer to turn union-buster after coming under legal scrutiny.
It does appear that Burress is subcontracting for Government Resources Consultants of America (GRCA), a union-busting firm based in Illinois, which is why LaborLab suspects Sunbelt Rentals could be spending much more than $150 an hour for Burress to be onsite. GRCA is a large player in the union-busting industry, hiring subcontractors for larger projects, as they have with Sunbelt Rentals. In 2024, GRCA union-busted on four different Amazon campaigns and for companies like Paragon, 3M, Sygma, Sapporo-Stone Brewing, Sysco, Grifols Plasma, U.S. Sugar, and MGM Springfield. In 2024, GRCA made $5,641,666 from employers and disbursed $3,116,612 to sub-contractors. In 2023, GRCA made $2,222,591 from employers, and disbursed $859,757 to sub-contractors. In 2022, GRCA listed 16 clients on their LM-21 with $3,521,099 in earnings for the year. GRCA has never included their compensation rate in LM-20s forms, including their most recent disclosure regarding Sunbelt Rentals. As a result, LaborLab has also requested an investigation into GRCA’s continued refusal to disclose just how much they are charging employers for their anti-union services.
As the election approaches for the Sunbelt Rentals workers in Fraser, Michigan, the company’s decision to enlist union-busters like Jon J. Burress, with his own questionable history, and the habitually non-transparent GRCA, raises serious concerns. By failing to ensure timely and accurate disclosure of this anti-union engagement, Sunbelt Rentals and its consultants are actively preventing its employees from accessing critically important information they deserve before casting their votes. This lack of transparency, coupled with the tactics employed, underscores the lengths to which some employers will go to silence their workers and obstruct their fundamental right to organize for a better future.
