“These protections are key to our work to ensure that staff are guaranteed a fair, inclusive, and safe workplace across Congress,” the Congressional Workers Union said in a statement.
The House adopted a resolution in May 2022 that allows policy staff to unionize in accordance with the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995. Currently, there are 11 unionized House member offices. Last week, Democratic aides on the House Education and Labor Committee petitioned the Congressional Office of Workplace Rights to hold a union election. If successful, they will be the first committee staff to form a union attached to a standing committee rather than an individual member’s office.
Senate member offices are larger than their House counterparts. The jobs there also typically pay less than similarly titled positions and have more cachet that can later be traded for well-paying gigs on K Street. But the wages still pale in comparison to the federal government — let alone the private sector — and the hours tend to be brutal, leading many workers to say that staying on the Hill isn’t sustainable in the long run. Labor organizers argued that unions would improve conditions and help staff lobby Congress to increase Members’ Representational Allowances in annual appropriations bills.
The introduction of the resolution was praised by progressive advocates focused on how Congress functions as an institution.
“The introduction of a resolution to grant unionization rights to Senate staff that have long been available to workers across the country is an important step toward strengthening Congress,” said Taylor J. Swift, senior policy adviser at Demand Progress. “A year of successful House unionization efforts has shown that when congressional staffers have a seat at the bargaining table, it results in higher wages, better benefits, and a healthier workplace. The all staff – including those in Senate and Joint offices – must be afforded these same protections.
