Salting | Meaning and Definition

What is salting?

Salting is just a union organizing strategy in which the union ends up paying a person to apply for the job at a particular company, and once that particular job is acquired by that particular person, then union organizing efforts come to play. Salts, as the name for such persons is known, might be extremely blunt regarding their aims or utilize more discreet methods.

Salting in the US

Because unions may be barred from speaking with staff members under US law, salting is among the few lawful tactics that allow union activists to speak with workers. Salts were used by most of the Knights of Labor as well as the Industrial Employees of the World. Salts are still used by the IWW, particularly in the recent Starbucks Workers Campaign.

Salting is viewed as a form of intimidation that infringes on employee rights. Employers, on the other hand, are more likely to be frightened since salts can drag them through a series of NLRB cases in an attempt to make them spend a lot of money and time defending themselves against claims of unfair labor practices. Construction is no longer the only business that uses salts. The economy of the United States is transitioning away from construction and manufacturing and toward services. The United States Census Bureau keeps track of important industry information.