Congressional Workers Union
The Congressional Workers Union (CWU) is an American labor union that represents Congressional staffers in both individual U.S. Representatives' and Senators' offices as well as committee staff.
Background
[edit]A 2020 study found that one in eight staffers were not making a living wage; others said they were relying on food stamps or working second jobs.[1][2] A 2022 survey conducted by the Congressional Progressive Staff Association had 86% of non-management staff and 80% of management staff say they felt there was a "toxic work environment in Congress" and 91% of respondents said they wanted "more protections to give [them] a voice at work”.[3]
Other issues with working conditions, including bullying and racism, were publicized by an anonymous Instagram account named Dear White Staffers.[1]
The Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 was supposed to extend labor rights to Congressional staff, but Congress never authorized the regulations that would have implemented legal protections for organizing.[1][4]
Formation
[edit]In the weeks following the January 6 United States Capitol attack, multiple staffers had a call to discuss formally creating a union, with one person participating from a bathroom stall in the Rayburn House Office Building.[5]
In February 2022, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she supported Congressional staff having the right to organize,[6] which led to CWU organizers going public with their efforts.[5] The CWU began discussing with Representative Andy Levin to introduced a resolution protecting House staffers' right to organize by implementing the regulations from the Congressional Accountability Act, which he did a week later.[5][7]
The House Administration Committee held a hearing on the resolution in March,[4] the full House passed it 217–202 in May.[8] It went into effect on July 18, 2022;[9] the CWU announced eight House offices had filed petitions for a union the same day.[10]
U.S. House
[edit]The following offices voted to form a union:
- Cori Bush (Missouri)[11]
- Sean Casten (Illinois)[12]
- Chuy García (Illinois)[11]
- Val Hoyle (Oregon)[13]
- Ro Khanna (California)[11]
- Andy Levin (Michigan)[11]
- Ted Lieu (California)[11]
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York)[12]
- Mark Pocan (Wisconsin)[12]
- Ilhan Omar (Minnesota)[14]
- Melanie Stansbury (New Mexico)[14]
- Mark Takano (California)[12]
- Dina Titus (Nevada)[12]
All thirteen house offices who have voted to form a Union are offices of representatives of the Democratic Party.
The staff on the Committee on Education and the Workforce also filed a petition to unionize.[12] Levin's staff was the first to organize and negotiate a contract in October 2022, but it was only in effect for two months since he lost his re-election bid.[15]
U.S. Senate
[edit]The resolution passed in the House does not protect Senate staffers from retaliation for organizing, so the CWU sent a letter to Senate leaders in February 2023, asking them to pass the same regulations from the Congressional Accountability Act.[16] Senator Sherrod Brown introduced such a resolution in June.[17]
In March 2023, Senator Ed Markey voluntarily recognized a union formed by his staff.[18]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Zhou, Li (April 21, 2022). "Does Democrats' support for unions extend to their own employees?". Vox. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ "'Ground up and spit out': Inside the Hill staffer Instagram rebellion". POLITICO. February 4, 2022. Archived from the original on June 15, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Mineiro, Megan (January 25, 2022). "Living paycheck to paycheck a reality for some Hill staffers, survey finds". Roll Call. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ a b Saksa, Jim (March 2, 2022). "Parties clash over unionizing Hill staff at House hearing". Roll Call. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ a b c Vesoulis, Abby (March 26, 2022). "Inside the Capitol Hill Staffers' Unionizing Effort". Time. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Gregorian, Dareh (February 4, 2022). "Pelosi to offer 'full support' if congressional staffers decide to unionize". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ "Levin, 130 Colleagues Introduce Resolution Recognizing Congressional Workers' Right to Organize". Representative Andy Levin. February 9, 2022. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Blest, Paul (May 11, 2022). "Congressional Staffers Could Finally Get a Union After 26 Years". Vice. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Saksa, Jim (May 11, 2023). "After a year of organizing, staff union leaders look ahead to collective bargaining". Roll Call. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Lai, Stephanie (July 18, 2022). "Eight U.S. House Offices File for the Right to Unionize". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Dayen, David (January 4, 2023). "House GOP Tries to Cancel Congressional Staff Unions". The American Prospect. Archived from the original on October 24, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Saksa, Jim (June 15, 2023). "In a first, House Education and the Workforce panel's Democratic staffers look to unionize". Roll Call. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ @congressional_workers_union (September 19, 2023). "CWU supports the historic unionization of Rep. Val Hoyle & Rep. Rashida Tlaib's staff" – via Instagram.
- ^ a b Saksa, Jim (January 6, 2023). "House Republicans want to wipe out staff unions, but it's not that simple". Roll Call. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Saksa, Jim (October 17, 2022). "Staffers in Rep. Andy Levin's office sign first union contract". Roll Call. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Saksa, Jim (February 9, 2023). "Unionize the Senate, staffers urge". Roll Call. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Papp, Justin; Saksa, Jim (June 23, 2023). "Senate Democrats offer resolution to let staff organize". Roll Call. Archived from the original on July 3, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Saksa, Jim (March 8, 2023). "With voluntary recognition, Ed Markey's staff will be the first in the Senate to unionize". Roll Call. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
