Top 7 Companies Funding Anti-Labor Policies

Amazon: No clear records of financial contributions, but practices to resist labor law reforms remain under scrutiny.
Walmart: Focuses on anti-union strategies like manager training and monitoring organizing efforts.
McDonald's: Spent $2.3M in 2024, opposing minimum wage hikes, union recognition, and scheduling reforms.
Uber: Campaigns to keep drivers classified as contractors, avoiding employee benefits and stricter regulations.
FedEx: Invests heavily in lobbying to block worker reclassification from contractors to employees.
Starbucks: Uses consultants and legal teams to discourage unionization efforts.
Delta Airlines: Spent $3.2M in 2024 on lobbying to counter unionization and labor law changes.

Why It Matters

These actions impact wages, benefits, and workplace protections for millions of workers. Transparency and public awareness are key to holding these companies accountable.

How US corporations try to stop a resurgence of labor unions ...

1. Amazon

Amazon stands as one of the largest employers in the United States. However, there are no publicly available records showing the company's financial contributions against labor law reforms, leaving its involvement in anti-labor efforts unclear.

2. Walmart

Walmart, the largest private employer in the U.S. with over 1.6 million workers, has a clear stance against labor unionization. While public records don’t show direct donations related to this, the company uses specific strategies to discourage union organizing. These include training managers to identify early signs of union activity, closely monitoring any organizing efforts, and using internal communications to emphasize potential risks associated with unions. These tactics illustrate Walmart's approach to addressing unionization within its workforce.

3. McDonald's

In 2024, McDonald's invested $2.3 million in efforts to influence labor law reforms. This spending focused on opposing changes related to wages, unions, and employee scheduling. Here's how the funds were allocated:

Minimum Wage Opposition: $1.2 million went toward campaigns against raising the minimum wage.
Union Recognition Challenges: $750,000 was used to contest measures like the 'card check' process, which simplifies union formation.
Scheduling Reform Resistance: $350,000 was spent fighting fair workweek laws that require predictable employee schedules.

4. Uber

Uber has invested significant resources to oppose labor reform proposals that would reclassify drivers as employees. The company has actively campaigned against requirements for employee benefits and tighter ride-hailing regulations. These efforts aim to maintain drivers' contractor status and preserve the flexibility of its gig-based model, ensuring its current operational structure remains intact.

5. FedEx

FedEx has been actively involved in political funding, particularly to influence labor laws. The company has spent millions on PACs and lobbying efforts to block initiatives aimed at reclassifying its drivers from contractors to employees. Such a change would increase labor costs and require offering more benefits.

FedEx's contributions focus on two main areas:

Blocking federal legislation aimed at improving worker protections
Opposing state-level efforts to enforce stricter worker classification rules

Critics argue that relying on contractors helps FedEx save money but comes at the expense of worker benefits. While the company claims this model allows for greater operational flexibility, labor advocates are concerned it undermines efforts to improve labor standards overall.

6. Starbucks

Starbucks has been under fire for its efforts to discourage unionization. Critics argue the company employs external consultants, legal teams, and policy adjustments to push back against union efforts. While Starbucks defends these actions as a way to maintain direct communication with employees, opponents believe the resources could be better spent improving wages and workplace conditions.

Up next, we'll dive into Delta Airlines' donation practices.

7. Delta Airlines

Delta Airlines has invested heavily in efforts to block changes to labor laws. In 2024, the company spent $3.2 million on lobbying activities focused on stopping worker unionization. The airline's political action committee directed most of this funding toward congressional campaigns that stand against pro-labor policies.

Conclusion

Corporate political spending poses a serious challenge to the future of worker protections in the United States. Many of the companies highlighted in this report allocate substantial funds to lobbying and political contributions, often prioritizing corporate agendas over worker rights.

For example, McDonald's spent $2.3 million on anti-reform initiatives, while Delta Airlines directed $3.2 million toward lobbying efforts. These actions underline the need for greater public awareness and accountability. Transparency and meaningful reforms are critical for safeguarding worker rights. Groups like American Muckrakers play a crucial role in exposing corporate influence and ensuring both businesses and elected officials are held accountable. Public involvement remains essential to driving fair labor policies and defending the rights of workers across the country.