5 minPolitics
Obama Foundation Staff Move to Unionize, Citing Benefit Cuts and High Turnover
Employees at the Obama Foundation are organizing with AFSCME Council 31 to form Obama Workers United, accusing leadership of rolling back benefits and ignoring workplace concerns at the foundation that runs the newly opened Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
Employees at the Obama Foundation are moving to unionize, accusing leadership of rolling back benefits, failing to address workplace concerns and driving away experienced staff. The workers are seeking to form Obama Workers United and are invoking former President Barack Obama's own public support for organized labor as they press foundation leadership to respect their right to organize.
In a letter signed by dozens of employees, the workers said increasing workloads, reduced benefits and a lack of support from leadership have contributed to high staff turnover at the foundation, which operates the recently opened Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. The organizing committee is working with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31.
«Amidst increasing workloads we have seen our benefits rolled back and support from leadership to be minimal. When we voice concerns we are met with vague responses, leading to uncertainty about our future with the foundation,» the workers wrote. They added that departing colleagues have taken valuable institutional knowledge with them, leaving remaining staff struggling to keep up with their responsibilities.
The complaints come months after reporting that Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett, a longtime Obama confidante, earned $740,000 in 2024, while the organization's total salaries and benefits climbed from $18.5 million in 2018 to $43.7 million in 2024. The foundation defended its executive compensation at the time, saying salaries reflected competitive market rates for comparable nonprofit organizations.
The proposed union would represent more than 250 employees across the foundation's Chicago campus, Washington, D.C., offices and remote positions nationwide. The organizing committee also urged foundation leadership not to interfere with the unionization effort.
«We urge senior leadership to honor our legal right to form a union and not waste resources on anti-union messaging, anti-union lawyers, or anti-union meetings,» the letter states. The workers then pointed to Obama's own words from a 2016 letter encouraging Americans to join unions.
«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,» Obama wrote at the time, according to the employees' letter.
The Obama Foundation said it supports employees' right to organize in a statement previously provided to the Daily Mail. «We are deeply committed to the fundamental right of workers to organize and make their voices heard,» a foundation spokesperson said. «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.»
The foundation did not immediately respond to questions about the employees' concerns or whether it plans to voluntarily recognize the union. The organizing effort adds to a broader national conversation about labor conditions at high-profile nonprofits, particularly those tied to political figures who have publicly championed workers' rights.
The Obama Presidential Center opened after a years-long saga that drew criticism from some local residents who warned the project could price them out of the surrounding neighborhood. The foundation has described the center as a hub for civic engagement and community programs rather than a traditional presidential library.
For now, the workers say they are waiting for leadership to respond to their request for voluntary recognition. If the foundation declines, the employees could seek an election through the National Labor Relations Board, a process that would formally test whether a majority of the more than 250 eligible staff members support union representation.
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