Democratic National Committee (DNC) staffers voted to unionize on Tuesday, the committee announced.
Staffers by “an overwhelming margin” decided to join SEIU Local 500, which already includes left-wing and left-leaning groups like People for the American Way, American Bridge, and Public Citizen.
“We are incredibly excited to join SEIU Local 500 to live our Democratic values at our workplace,” Alison Goh, a staffer and union leader, said in a statement.
Former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) confirmed the vote as a neutral observer chosen by staff and management.
Workers are now preparing to hammer out their first contract with DNC managers.
“As we work on our first contract with management, we thank Chair [Jaime] Harrison and DNC leadership for their vocal support of collective bargaining rights both inside and outside of the DNC Headquarters—now, let’s get to work,” Goh said.
DNC expressed support for the unionization.
“Today, the DNC is proud to voluntarily recognize SEIU Local 500 after a majority of DNC employees expressed their desire for union representation in a mutually agreed-upon bargaining unit. The DNC looks forward to meeting with Local 500 and our employee representatives to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement in the near future. I am inspired by the incredible DNC team, and that’s especially true today as they live the values we hold dear as Democrats,” Sam Cornale, DNC’s executive director, said in a statement.
Staffers said they saw a good fit with SEIU Local 500, describing it as a union “that already represents employees of several progressive non-profits in the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. metro area.”
The unionization process was described as “collegial, efficient, and productive.”
Smaller Democrat campaigns and groups had unionized, but none as high-profile as the DNC.
