Company's anti-union stance may boost worker productivity, Cornell study finds
A company's explicit opposition to unions can motivate some employees to work harder, according to new research from Cornell University. This effect was most pronounced in workers who were already skeptical of collective bargaining.
The popularity of labor unions has grown in recent years, with 16.5 million workers represented by a union in 2025, marking the highest share of the workforce in 16 years. High-profile union campaigns at companies like Starbucks and Amazon have seen some employers become increasingly vocal in their opposition to organized labor.
A new study from Cornell University suggests that a company's stance on unions can measurably impact its workforce and shape worker productivity. In an experiment simulating workplace dynamics, researchers found that when a company disclosed its anti-union position, some employees responded by increasing their efforts. This response was specifically observed among workers who were skeptical of unions or believed collective bargaining was not in their best interest.
"Workers use the manager’s public stance to infer how managers intend to set pay under individual bargaining," stated Xinyu Zhang, an accounting professor at Cornell and co-author of the study. "Managers’ opposition gives workers information, and that information can change their behavior." Employees who favored individual negotiations interpreted the employer's stance as an incentive to demand higher wages by boosting their productivity. Conversely, for those who supported collective bargaining, the employer's position had no significant impact on their behavior.
The research indicates that an employer's public response to unionization efforts can significantly influence employee behavior, even without additional tactics. While many employers oppose unions, not all are explicit, with some, like Microsoft, adopting neutrality agreements. The findings suggest that workers who believe in individual bargaining may feel empowered by an employer's anti-union stance to seek higher individual pay through increased output.
While union membership remains around 11.2% of the workforce, surveys indicate growing worker interest, with over 50 million expressing a desire for union representation in 2025. Economic analyses suggest that a significant increase in union membership could lead to substantial wage growth across the workforce. The Cornell study highlights how a company's communication strategy regarding unions can indirectly affect productivity based on individual employee perspectives.