Obama’s Library Faces New Humiliation As Scorned Workers Quit In Droves

Barack Obama’s sprawling presidential center is facing fresh turmoil just months after opening, with workers alleging high turnover, heavier workloads and benefit cuts as they move to unionize.

Employees at the Obama Foundation and Obama Presidential Center announced this week that they are organizing under the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31.

In an open letter signed by 68 workers, employees accused foundation leadership of responding to workplace concerns with “vague responses.”

The workers said the organization has suffered a “high turnover rate” and that employees “continue to leave, taking with them their institutional knowledge and expertise.”

The union has not released a specific number of employees who have departed since the Chicago campus opened in June.

Workers say frustrations have mounted over pay, health care costs, time off and advancement opportunities.

According to union organizers, employees were recently told they would receive no pay increases this winter while health care costs rise, paid time off is reduced and promotions remain suspended.

Luke Gilday, an Obama Foundation employee and member of the organizing committee, said workers want a direct voice in decisions affecting their jobs.

‘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.

He said employees currently ‘don’t even have a seat at the table.’

The organizing drive comes less than four months after the Obama Presidential Center opened to the public in Chicago, adding another headache to a project that has already faced criticism over its enormous price tag and imposing design.

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Staff at Obama’s ‘tombstone’ presidential library resign on mass after complaining about working conditions and benefit cuts.

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The center’s cost climbed dramatically from early estimates as construction stretched over several years.

Before the opening, some contractors also publicly complained about unpaid invoices connected to work on the project.

The latest trouble is particularly awkward given Obama’s long history of publicly championing organized labor.

The workers themselves pointed out the irony.

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Their letter quoted a message Obama circulated during the 2016 election encouraging Americans to organize when workplace conditions needed improvement.

‘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.

Obama Workers United is expected to cover more than 250 employees across the presidential center campus, the foundation’s Washington, D.C., offices and remote positions throughout the country.

AFSCME Council 31 spokesman Anders Lindall said organizers are already circulating union cards among employees.

‘Generally everybody wants a voice,’ Lindall said this week.

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‘That extends to compensation and conditions in the workplace and more.’

Gilday stressed that employees behind the organizing effort are not trying to undermine the Obama Foundation or its mission.

‘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 Obama Foundation said it supports workers’ right to organize and signaled that it intends to cooperate with the effort.

‘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.’

The union campaign now puts the labor practices inside Barack Obama‘s own institution under a brighter spotlight, with workers publicly airing complaints about compensation and conditions at a center built in large part to showcase the former president’s legacy.

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