Staffers of Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI) unanimously voted to form the first Congressional union in history, in a potential turning point for organized labor’s presence on the Hill. Staffers for Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Rep. Ilhan Omar also held union elections this week, with results yet to be announced.
Low wages, hostile work environment impetus for union drive. The victorious Congressional Workers Union claimed that Congress does not adequately compensate congressional staffers, citing record levels of burnout and turnover. The CWU also cited pervasive harassment and hostility towards staffers as additional conditions that the union sought to rectify.
Policy Impact? So far, Congressional union drives have involved staffers of some of the more progressive and union-friendly members of Congress. It remains to be seen whether the practical realities of having a unionized workforce will have an influence on these members’ labor and employment policy positions. If the union movement does continue to spread within Congress, it will also be worth watching what sort of union avoidance strategies, if any, some members of Congress may implement.
Outlook: Rep. Levin’s staffers’ historic union victory will be notably short-lived, as Rep. Levin will leave Congress in January after losing his primary election in August.