Former President Barack Obama spent years preaching about workers’ rights, fairness and the importance of unions. Now, employees at his own presidential center are discovering that Obama’s REAL hope and change apparently don’t come with very good benefits.
Almost four months after the Obama Presidential Center opened in Chicago, employees there and with the Obama Foundation are organizing a union, complaining about increasing workloads, reduced benefits, high turnover and management that seemingly hasn’t gotten the memo about listening to workers.
The Daily Mail reports [1] that according to union organizers, employees have been told to expect no winter raises, higher healthcare costs, reduced paid time off and frozen promotions.
An open letter [2] signed by 68 employees announced plans to organize more than 250 workers through AFSCME Council 31.
And here’s the delicious irony: Workers even quoted Obama’s own 2016 advice encouraging employees to join unions when workplace problems arise. At the time, he said, “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.”
So much for Obama’s famous message of empowerment.
The Obama Foundation insists it respects workers’ organizing rights and supports collaboration. Uh-huh. Flowery words and promises… that’s the same thing that got Obama elected in the first place.
For an institution built around Obama’s legacy of fairness and opportunity, having its own employees demand better treatment is quite the laughable public relations headache.
Hope and change? Apparently, some assembly required.