Barack Obama is facing a fresh setback at his controversial presidential center, where employees have criticized management and begun organizing a union only months after the facility opened.
In a letter to colleagues this week, staff at the Chicago center said they were seeking to unionize over rising workloads and cuts to workplace benefits.
According to the letter, first shared by the Chicago Sun-Times, employees have become increasingly frustrated with Obama Foundation leadership after receiving what they described as “vague responses” to their concerns.
The letter linked problems with workloads and benefits to a “high turnover rate,” saying more employees continued to leave and took valuable institutional knowledge and expertise with them.
Workers said they were recently informed that healthcare costs would rise, promotions had been suspended and paid time off reduced. They also learned that no pay increases were planned for this winter.
Luke Gilday, an Obama Foundation employee and member of the organizing committee, told the Sun-Times that staff decided to unionize because they “don’t even have a seat at the table.”
“What we’re hoping for, and really the reason why we’re forming our union, is just because we believe we should have a say in the decisions that are being made that impact all of our lives,” Gilday said.
The labor dispute comes after the Obama Presidential Center faced criticism over its stark design, which some observers likened to a “death star” when it opened to the public in June.
Barack Obama is facing a fresh setback at his controversial presidential center, where workers have criticized management and begun organizing a union only months after its unveiling
The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago was envisioned as a $300 million testament to his legacy, but its budget rose above $850 million and the design drew criticism
The center cost more than $850 million, substantially exceeding its original $300 million budget. Just days before its grand opening in June, however, contractors alleged that they had not been paid for work on the building.
Several subcontractors said they were owed millions of dollars in overdue invoices. Omar Shareef, president of the African American Contractors Association, said some workers told him they “wished they had never done (the project).”
Since the Obama Presidential Center opened, employees say they have faced high turnover among colleagues as well as difficult and frustrating working conditions.
The letter, signed by 68 workers, said employees were beginning to establish a union called Obama Workers United under the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, or AFSCME 31.
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Anders Lindall, AFSCME 31’s director of public affairs, said the organizing committee had begun circulating union cards and encouraging staff to support the campaign.
“Generally everybody wants a voice,” Lindall said this week.
“That extends to compensation and conditions in the workplace and more.”
The Obama Presidential Center was criticized as an eyesore and compared with the “death star” from Star Wars after opening to the public in June
A statue honoring former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the Chicago campus
Gilday said he joined the union campaign without setting a timeline for securing a contract with the Obama Foundation. Employees did, however, begin distributing organizing materials outside the center this week.
In the organizing committee’s open letter, the group quoted directly from a letter Obama circulated during the 2016 presidential election, which called on workers to join unions across the nation.
‘If I were looking for a good job that lets me build some security for my family, I’d join a union. If I saw a problem in my workplace, I’d organize my coworkers to do something about it,’ the quote read.
Gilday added that the unionizing workers did not want to scupper the former president’s foundation or its mission, and said they ‘care deeply about’ making it a success.
‘Mr. and Mrs. Obama’s legacy is one of hope. It’s one of fairness, and it’s one of transparency… by forming our union, all we’re doing is living out that legacy,’ he said.
The union will cover over 250 workers across the presidential center campus in Chicago, the Obama Foundation’s offices in Washington DC, and a number of remote workers around the US.
In a statement to WBEZ following reports of the unionization efforts, a spokesperson for the Obama Foundation said: ‘We are deeply committed to the fundamental right of workers to organize and make their voices heard.
‘As members of our staff explore union representation, we approach this process with immense gratitude for their contributions, deep respect for unions, and a sincere commitment to working collaboratively with our partners in labor.’
Our News Outlet has contacted the Obama Foundation for further comment.
