Congressional Staffers Union Would Remake Congress

Congressional staffers announce that they are unionizing.

By Sharon Zhang, Truthout

On Friday, congressional staffers declared that they are unionizing, an announcement that was met with an outpouring of support from progressive and Democratic lawmakers.

The Congressional Workers Union has been in the midst of organizing efforts for over a year, they said in a statement.

“[W]e are proud to publicly announce our efforts to unionize the personal offices and committees of Congress, in solidarity with our fellow workers across the United States and the world,” the staffers wrote.

“While not all offices and committees face the same working conditions, we strongly believe that to better serve our constituents will require meaningful changes to improve retention, equity, diversity, and inclusion on Capitol Hill,” they continued. “That starts with having a voice in the workplace. We call on all congressional staff to join in the effort to unionize, and look forward to meeting management at the table.”

Organizers pointed to a survey last month from the Congressional Progressive Staff Association of 516 staffers, in which 91 percent of survey respondents said that they want more protections at work.