Start Applying Labor Transparency (SALT) Act

*Updated: 4/21/25*

Start Applying Labor Transparency (SALT) Act
H.R. 2952, Sponsored by Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT)

The Start Applying Labor Transparency (SALT) Act would require deceptive paid union organizers, known as salts, to file the same reporting forms as management hired labor consultants.

In the process of salting, unions pay organizers who then apply for jobs at non-union companies to unionize the employer. These union organizers then encourage their colleagues to unionize. Employers who hire these salts have no idea they are paid by unions to organize the workplace.

The SALT Act would amend the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) to require unions to fully disclose their organizers’ identities and activities, either official or undercover, in the same manner that federal law requires transparency from employers – creating an equal playing field in union organizing efforts where workers stand to benefit the most.

Rep. Burgess Owens said in his press release upon introduction of the bill: “Imagine a scenario where an employee, without the knowledge of their colleagues and employer, is receiving compensation from a union while advocating for its interests within the workplace. This deception not only breeds suspicion but also erodes the very foundation of trust and transparency between employers and employees. The SALT Act seeks to address this issue by requiring union salts to disclose their affiliation with the Department of Labor, ensuring transparency and fairness in the workplace.”

I4AW commissioned public opinion polling in 2023 which revealed that 75% of Americans want greater transparency of salts.

President of Institute for the American Worker F. Vincent Vernuccio said: “Unions should make the case for representation in plain sight and let the workers decide. Instead, unions are deceiving employers and the very employees they want to represent. The SALT Act would correct this loophole in federal labor law which does a disservice to workers who deserve to have all the facts before making an informed decision about union representation.”

The issue of union salts has received additional attention recently after press coverage of a salt trying to organize Starbucks failed to disclose her union affiliation when testifying before the U.S. House Committee on Education & the Workforce in 2022.

Additional Resources

• Press Release: Owens Leads Labor Union Transparency Bill
• I4AW Poll: Americans Want More Transparency in Union Organizing and Worker Enfranchisement
• NY Post: Unions’ deceptive ‘salting’ loophole leaves a bad taste
• House Committee on Education and the Workplace: Foxx Demands Answers on Union Operative’s Failure to Disclose Big Labor Ties Ahead of Testifying Before Congress