Early last year, the president of a small manufacturing company in Missouri received a cold call from a man who went by the name of Jack Black. Workers at the company, called Motor Appliance Corp., or MAC, had just asked to hold a union election. Jack Black specialized in “union avoidance.” He wanted to offer his services…

… The consulting work at MAC ultimately led to employee resignations and a hearing before the NLRB that shed new light on the opaque world of persuaders. This story is based primarily on testimony from that hearing, which was obtained through a public records request…

As Jack Black, Teague secured a contract to defeat the union campaign at MAC, which involved only around a dozen workers. The company agreed to pay $375 per hour…

One MAC worker later testified before the labor board that she supported the union effort because of harassment in the workplace…

A mere 6% of private-sector workers in the U.S. belong to a union today, down from a high of around 33% in the 1950s. …

One said the consultant … said they could lose their First Amendment rights if they organized, and that the union could mandate drug tests for everyone…