Levin’s staff becomes first Capitol Hill office to unionize

The staff of Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.) voted to unionize on Monday, becoming the first congressional office in history to form a union.

The Congressional Workers Union said staffers with Levin’s office “unanimously voted to form a union” in a Monday afternoon tweet.

The historic moment comes about four months after the House officially approved allowing Capitol Hill offices to unionize.

Levin, who lost his primary and will only remain in office for the next three months, introduced the House resolution that passed along party lines in May and paved the way for congressional staffers to unionize.

In a statement to The Hill, the Congressional Workers Union said it is “ecstatic to support these workers as we move to the bargaining table and negotiate a contract representative of workers’ needs for the first time in congressional history.”

“It is with great pride we announce the landslide union election victory in Congressman Andy Levin’s office,” the organization said in a statement. “While exercising their right to vote, the workers clearly and emphatically expressed their desire to bargain collectively and have a seat at the table to determine workplace conditions and benefits.”

Voting with Levin’s office began last week, and the results came in on Monday. Ahead of the vote, Levin called attention to the “historic moment” for Congress.

“I’m proud of my staff bravery and initiative,” the lawmaker tweeted. “I will work in good faith with their union should a majority choose to form one.”

Besides Levin’s, seven other Democratic congressional offices voted in July to hold union elections.

Those are: Reps. Cori Bush (Mo.), Chuy Garcia (Ill.), Ro Khanna (Calif.), Ted Lieu (Calif.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortex (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.) and Melanie Stansbury (N.M.).

—Updated at 5:12 p.m.