Corey Booker’s campaign staff has unionized with the Teamsters union and Booker’s campaign manager is “thrilled.”
The national presidential campaign staff of Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), who is currently polling at two percent, have chosen Teamsters Local 238 in Iowa to represent them, becoming the latest political workers to do so. The union will represent some 60 non-management, non-supervisory staff, according to a Teamsters press release.
“I’m thrilled that the Teamsters have earned majority support to serve as our campaign workers’ union representatives,” said campaign manager Addisu Demissie in a statement to The Hill.
“Cory Booker has a longstanding relationship with the Teamsters and organized labor and we share common goals, like rewarding hard work with a living wage and good benefits,” Demissie added. “We are proud to become a unionized campaign and celebrate this step forward together.”
The campaign workers did not vote by secret ballot but, rather, the union was voluntarily recognized through a process called “card-check.”
“They join Iowa Democratic Party workers and the field staff of former presidential contender Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) in selecting the union,” the union stated.
Unless Booker drops out of the race due to his low poll numbers, his campaign management will likely soon start negotiating with the union for a first agreement, which could take several weeks or months.
It is unknown why the Teamsters local in Iowa—a Right-to-Work state—was chosen, rather than a Teamsters’ local in Booker’s home state of New Jersey.
“Employees of other 2020 presidential campaigns, including those for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) have also unionized,” reported The Hill.
Recently, however, the Sanders’ campaign has been accused of committing unfair labor practices against his campaign staff.
The National Labor Relations Board is currently investigating those charges.
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