Markey staffers announce progress in union push

Sen. Ed Markey’s (D-Mass.) staff on Monday announced progress on unionization efforts.

“On the one-year anniversary of our request, we are proud to have achieved voluntary approval and a strong agreement in principle,” Massachusetts Democratic Party staff said. Said This was said in a press release from the Parliamentary Workers Union (CWU).

“We look forward to further participation in the collective bargaining process to reach a collective bargaining agreement,” the statement continued.

The CWU announced last Wednesday in a post on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) that all Marquee staff had “come forward and requested voluntary recognition.”

“Once confirmed, this office will become the first unionized U.S. Senate office in history!” CWU said.

In his post on X, Markey praised the staff’s efforts, saying he was “proud of their commitment to organizing instead of suffering.”

“We recognize their efforts to unionize and look forward to engaging with them,” he said Wednesday.

Last May, the House of Representatives passed a resolution allowing employees to unionize, but the Senate has not taken similar action.

“As the Senate fails to act to pass a resolution extending organizing and collective bargaining protections to Senate floor employees, we stand together to forge our own path and seek unprecedented voluntary recognition and basic “We commend the staff in Sen. Markey’s office for collectively bargaining for the rules,” the Congressional Union said in a statement in a press release.

“We applaud this historic step and look forward to continued negotiations as these workers move toward a collective bargaining agreement,” the CWU statement continued.