Obama Foundation workers move to unionize over benefits, working conditions months after center opens

Employees at former President Barack Obama's foundation are moving to unionize, accusing leadership of rolling back benefits, failing to address workplace concerns and driving away experienced staff, according to a letter reviewed by Fox News Digital.

The workers are invoking Obama's own public support for organized labor as they seek to form Obama Workers United, urging foundation leadership to respect their right to organize.

In the letter, signed by dozens of employees, workers said increasing workloads, reduced benefits and a lack of support from leadership have contributed to high staff turnover at the foundation, which operates the recently opened Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

OBAMA CENTER ISN'T A TRADITIONAL PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY.

CRITICS SAY IT'S AN ACTIVISM CENTER "Amidst increasing workloads we have seen our benefits rolled back and support from leadership to be minimal.

When we voice concerns we are met with vague responses, leading to uncertainty about our future with the foundation," the workers wrote.

The employees said departing colleagues have taken valuable institutional knowledge with them, leaving remaining staff struggling to keep up with their responsibilities.

The workers' complaints come months after Fox News Digital reported that Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett, a longtime Obama confidante, earned $740,000 in 2024, while the organization's total salaries and benefits climbed from $18.5 million in 2018 to $43.7 million in 2024.

The foundation defended its executive compensation at the time, saying salaries reflected competitive market rates for comparable nonprofit organizations.

OBAMA CENTER OPENS AFTER YEARS-LONG SAGA AS LOCALS WARN ‘MONSTROSITY’ COULD PRICE THEM OUT The organizing committee, working with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, also urged foundation leadership not to interfere with the unionization effort .

"We urge senior leadership to honor our legal right to form a union and not waste resources on anti-union messaging, anti-union lawyers, or anti-union meetings," the letter states.

The workers then pointed to Obama's own words from a 2016 letter encouraging Americans to join unions.

"If I were looking for a good job that lets me build some security for my family, I’d join a union.

If I saw a problem in my workplace, I’d organize my coworkers to do something about it," Obama wrote at the time, according to the employees' letter.