Major US corporations threaten to return labor to ‘law of the jungle’

Trader Joe's and SpaceX are among businesses challenging the constitutionality of the National Labor Relations Board

Upset by the surge in union drives, several of the best-known corporations in the US are seeking to cripple the country's top labor watchdog, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), by having it declared unconstitutional. Some labor experts warn that if those efforts succeed, US labor relations might return to the law of the jungle".

In recent weeks, Elon Musk's SpaceX as well as Amazon, Starbucks and Trader Joe's have filed legal papers that advance novel arguments aimed at hobbling and perhaps shutting down the NLRB - the federal agency that enforces labor rights and oversees unionization efforts. Those companies are eager to thwart the NLRB after it accused Amazon, Starbucks and Trader Joe's of breaking the law in battling against unionization and accused SpaceX of illegally firing eight workers for criticizing Musk.