Obama Presidential Center and Obama Foundation workers moving to form union

Workers at the Obama Foundation and Obama Presidential Center are pushing to form a union.

AFSCME Council 31 said 68 employees delivered a letter to their co-workers on Wednesday, informing them of a union organizing effort.

"We are the workers who spend our days fulfilling the vision and values of the Obama Foundation," the employees wrote. "We strongly believe in the mission to 'inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world,' and now we'd like to change ours." 

The union said it is asking about 250 Obama Center and Obama Foundation employees in Chicago and Washington, D.C., and remote workers across the country to sign union authorization cards in an effort to seek voluntary recognition from the Obama Foundation.

The workers seeking to form a union said they want a voice in decisions affecting pay, health care, and paid time off.

"These employees are the heart of the Obama Foundation. Every day they do the work that makes the new Presidential Center such a remarkable addition to our city," AFSCME Council 31 executive director Roberta Lynch said. "Together in our union, they can ensure that the Foundation and Presidential Center are every bit as good a place to work as the Center is to visit." 

The Obama Foundation said it respects workers' right to organize and is committed to working with labor.