- The House of Representatives has passed a resolution giving the green light to its union members.
- The office and commission of each individual member will have to form their own unit.
- This is a victory for Hill employees, who are advocating for more power to improve working conditions.
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The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution Tuesday night allowing employees to begin uniting for the first time in the chamber’s 233-year history.
The vote was 217-202, passed with the support of Democrats and the retention of Republicans. The resolution does not have to be approved by the Senate.
If enough offices and staff organize their workplaces, it could dramatically restructure the balance of power between members of Congress – who currently hold all the cards – and their staff.
“This resolution opens the door for more than 9,000 workers here on the Hill to unite without fear of retaliation,” Michigan Democrat spokesman Andy Levin, the resolution’s sponsor and former organizer, told Insider in a statement. of labor. “I am proud to be able to provide these results to employees throughout the house.”
In 1995, Congress passed a law that allowed its employees to form unions, but required the House of Representatives and the Senate to first pass resolutions to expand the legal protection of their legislative staff. No chamber had done so until the chamber adopted its resolution on Tuesday. Some congressional agencies, such as the Library of Congress, are already represented by unions.
The resolution applies only to employees of individual members, committees and non-partisan support services in the Chamber. The Senate has not considered a resolution that would affect its workers, and it is unclear whether it will do so before the by-elections. The chamber’s rule could also make it difficult for any such measure to overcome the republican opposition.
The House of Representatives resolution did not create a union for Congress officials. Rather, it expands the legal protection of employees, which would prevent their bosses from retaliating if they decide to form unions, effectively giving the green light to House employees to start organizing outdoors.
The Congress of Workers’ Union, which spearheaded the call for a resolution, praised the effort in an interview ahead of Tuesday’s vote.
“We want to ensure that the next generation of workers in Congress has it better than we do, so that they can better serve the American people and meet the needs of our constituents,” said a member of the Workers’ Union. in Congress. .
(Insider provided anonymity to workers’ representatives in Congress for fear that they might face professional retaliation for organizing. Their identity is known to Insider.)
The adoption of the resolution will mark the beginning of an unprecedented process in which the staff of each individual member’s office, the commission and the eligible non-partisan office will have to form their own units. With 435 separate offices of deputies and dozens of eligible committees, the process could take months, if not years.
The Congress of Workers’ Union, which currently operates as an independent union, will act as an umbrella organization in support of each negotiating unit.
The employees’ victory is the latest in a growing wave of Democratic Party union efforts to organize their jobs, including campaigns, party organizations and private political companies.
“We look forward to meeting at the negotiating table to agree on the long list of improvements needed to ensure decent wages, decent working conditions and equity on Capitol Hill,” Levin told a news conference Wednesday morning after a successful vote. .
The state of the congressional union
Officials and media representatives are waiting for the Democrats in the Senate before noon for deputies to appear. Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images
Tuesday’s legislative victory was the culmination of a year of underground organization by the Workers’ Union in Congress and their allies, who sought to gain more power over working conditions.
He also followed more than two years of anonymous accounts posted by the Instagram account Dear White Staffers, which describes detailed horror stories in the workplace from congressional halls.
In February, union organizers went public after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would support uniting House staff in response to a reporter’s question. Shortly afterwards, the Workers’ Union of Congress began working with its allies, and Levin signed up to sponsor the resolution.
Levin confirmed to Insider that he had worked with the Workers’ Union in Congress to pass the legislation, but declined to go into details, citing a desire to protect the organizer’s identity.
Capitol Hill employees have been earning salaries starting at the low $ 20,000 for years, with many taking a second job just to make ends meet. The institution has few reliable ways to protect employees who are subjected to sexual harassment or other forms of abuse in the workplace; the possibility of being blacklisted in the policy of speaking out against a member or manager helped to impose a culture of silence around bad behavior.
The Congress of Workers’ Union had about 30 members, mostly Democrats, during its existence. She began her efforts after the January 6 pandemic and uprising, which had a profound effect on the mental and physical well-being of Hill’s employees. Insider reports on the widespread burnout and mental health problems experienced by congressional officials over the past year as they take into account the effects of the ongoing pandemic and workplace problems.
This year’s stress seems to have had measurable consequences. In 2021, Hill staff resignations reached their highest levels in 20 years, and resignations increased by 55% compared to 2020, according to the Legistorm, which tracks data on Congress’ workforce.
“At some point, it was a recognition that these conditions will not change just like that,” another member of the Congressional Workers’ Union told Insider. “Members of Congress will not just wake up one day and decide to start paying their employees so they can live in waves. That they will need to come together and demand these changes. “
“And one way to do that is through a union,” the man said.
Are you a Capitol Hill employee working to organize your office or committee? We want to hear from you. Email reporter Kayla Epstein to kepstein@insider.com
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