nothing to lose but their chains

Biden supports Capitol Hill staffers seeking to unionize, Psaki says

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Tuesday that President Biden supports congressional staffers seeking to form a union, The Hill reported.

Biden "supports the right of any individual to seek to join a union, to collective bargain, and of course Capitol Hill staffers are certainly individuals who are pursuing that," Psaki said. 

Per The Hill, Psaki would not confirm whether the White House had been in contact with the organizers of the budding Congressional Workers Union.

The leaders of the push to unionize cited a "growing reckoning with poor pay and hostile working conditions" as well as a "fresh groundswell of lawmaker support," Politico reported.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have both voiced their support for the union, while House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said he didn't believe it would be "productive for the government."

Roll Call reported last year that the median salary for House staffers is $59,000.