House Democrats are facing a telling question: How committed are they to unions when it’s their own employees who want one?
At the moment, there’s no clear answer. In February, top Democrats — including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer — declared their full-throated support for a unionization effort among congressional staffers. Two months later, however, a resolution that would authorize the effort is stalled.
Two Democratic aides, who declined to comment on the record because the process is ongoing, have cited a procedural glitch for the hold-up, but the union’s organizers, who are eager to make progress before the midterm elections, are losing patience with the delays.
“All of leadership, at this point, has expressed support, has paid lip service,” said an organizer with the Congressional Workers Union (CWU), who spoke anonymously due to concerns about retaliation. “And then they haven’t brought it to the floor.”
The CWU, a group of staffers that launched a union drive earlier this year, wants the House to vote on a resolution guaranteeing staffers protections as soon as next week. Currently, the Congressional Accountability Act allows staffers to organize, but doesn’t offer them any shield from retaliation, meaning staffers could be fired and blacklisted if they do so. Thus far, Pelosi’s office has not commented on when a floor vote could be scheduled on the resolution.
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