Workers at U.S. Capitol Say ‘Yes’ to AFSCME

October 07, 2010

HIGH FIVE – U.S. Capitol Tour Guide Patrick Wicklund and Capitol Visitor Assistant Jennifer Michael Hess Weber celebrate their unit’s overwhelming vote to join AFSCME Council 26. (Photo credit: Megan Burger)

U.S. Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) tour guides and visitor assistants, who have accused management of ignoring their concerns over safety and security, have voted overwhelmingly for representation with AFSCME Council 26.

The 138 employees are “very dedicated to serving Congress and the public,” says Carl Goldman, executive director of Council 26. “They want their views to be taken seriously by management. They want to be given the tools to do their jobs.”

The workers’ accusations of health, safety and security shortcomings motivated their desire for AFSCME representation. For instance, when visitor guides put out a “priority call” for emergency assistance as instructed, those calls are often ignored. In one case an employee who went directly to the Capitol Police was reprimanded.

Testifying on Sept. 30 before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, CVC tour guide Megan Burger – a member of Local 658 – described the workers’ complaints, specifically citing “coordination, communication and follow-through during emergencies.”

Burger went on to explain “that our CVC team response to minor emergencies has been confused and haphazard in many cases, indicating a need for standardization.” For instance, she said, there have been “cases in which phone calls to police or medical help were delayed because multiple managers each thought the other was doing it.”

Also, she recalled instances “in which police or medical help took several minutes to arrive at the scene of an incident because managers failed to ensure they were given sufficient location information.” Read the entire testimony here.

The CVC workers have also accused a manager of disregarding safety regulations by flushing a white powder in a bag labeled “Anthrax” down a public toilet before notifying Capitol Police.

Also, visitor assistants have complained about the thinly layered uniform jackets they are required to wear during the winter, plus insufficient access to drinking water during their shifts.

Council 26 also represents employees of the Architect of the Capitol, Library of Congress and other legislative branch workers.