For Immediate Release
Friday, August 01, 1997
Architect of the Capitol Employees Say Yes to AFSCME
Washington, DC —After three days of voting, employees of the Architect of the Capitol including laborers, custodial workers and service employees, have voted by a 5 to 1 margin to be represented by the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employee (AFSCME) Council 26.
AOC employees voted 324 to 57 for AFSCME Council 26 representation. Council 26 will represent a bargaining unit of approximately 600 employees, the second largest on Capitol Hill after the Capitol Police. The unit is the largest group of non-uniformed employees to vote for unionization since Congress passed the Congressional Accountability Act.
"I have been waiting for this day for a long time, finally we will have a voice in what happens concerning working conditions and will have personnel policies and procedures, said Howard McKinney an AOC laborer. "It has been a long time coming, but we can finally be treated with dignity, respect and fairness."
Some of the major issues that have emerged during the course of organizing include the filing of a request for a health and safety inspection with the Office of Compliance for the Dirksen Building, where water fountains have been shut off for more than three years because of lead-contaminated water. Recently a group of AOC women custodians filed a class action lawsuit under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and a claim under the Equal Pay Act . The suit which was filed after two mediation attempts failed, charges that the women are paid significantly less than their male co-workers for performing the same work.
"AOC employees want the same rights and privileges afforded to millions of unionized public workers across the country. This seems only fair for employees of the U.S. Congress," said Carl Goldman, executive director, AFSCME Council 26.
AFSCME Council 26 represents over 7000 federal employees in a number of agencies including the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the Corporation for National and Community Services, The Peace Corps, Voice of America, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Library of Congress and the Department of Justice.
