On July 31, Illinois became the eighth state to make it illegal for employers to punish workers for refusing to attend anti-union meetings. Oregon was the first state to pass such a law, in 2010. Washington was the seventh, passing it earlier this year. The others are Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, New York, and New Jersey.
The so-called captive audience meetings are a frequent tactic employers use to demoralize and defeat union campaigns. Typically a high-paid anti-union consultant is brought in either to deliver anti-union talking points or train local managers to do so.
Oregon’s law, which set the patter adopted by the other states, broadly protects freedom of conscience in the workplace. It says that workers can’t be disciplined for refusing to attend a workplace meeting where the employer expresses political or religious views or their views on whether workers should join a union. Employers can still express the views, they just can’t require workers to attend. Workers can take employers to court if they’re disciplined for refusing to attend.
