A group working to get union representation for legislative staffers claims a long-time employee was fired after signing a union card. House leadership denied the claim.
The claim was made on a Twitter post. An earlier post also claimed that working conditions had changed for employees since the union effort was announced, with leadership seeming to indicate it does not want a union.
This morning, the leadership of @DEHouseDems fired a long-time employee who has signed a union card and attended organizing meetings.
No reason was given for the firing. No communication has been made between leadership and staff regarding this firing.
— Delaware General Assembly Union (@delawaregaunion) February 18, 2020
The union effort is the first of its kind in the nation and gained national attention. Legislative staffers do not have civil service protection. Delaware is also an employment-at-will state. That allows employees to be dismissed for no reason.
Democrats, who have a majority in both houses have ties to organized labor.
There have been reports of varying pay scales among staffers as well as issues with irregular schedules that come with the ebb and flow of the General Assembly which adjourns on July 1.
Earlier, a group of state Senate Republican staffers claimed union organizers made misleading claims regarding the effort. (Click on the headline below for story)
Letter, from Senate GOP staff, says employees were left out of union discussions
House leadership offered the following rebuttal.
“Unfortunately, the public tweet that you’re referencing shared confidential personnel information about a person who worked for the House. The accusation via public tweets that “no reason was given” is 100% inaccurate and untrue. The reasons why this person will no longer be working for the House has been provided in writing to the individual. Because this is a personnel matter, we are unable to provide that document. No action would be taken against an employee because he or she is involved with or is attempting to be involved with a union.
As previously stated, these public tweets contain information that is blatantly untrue and inaccurate, including the changing of work conditions and intimidation of staff. Senior staff and elected leadership have been extremely cognizant of maintaining the positive, collaborative working environment that has been established throughout the past decade.”
