WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined Senate cafeteria workers in front of the U.S. Capitol as they protest recently announced layoffs. Approximately 45 Senate dining workers and 40 Capitol Visitor Center workers were notified last week that they will be laid off starting April 15th.
“After all that you’ve done for senators during this pandemic, it’s despicable that this company is laying off workers,” Brown said to the Senate workers on the picket line. “We won’t stop fighting until Senate Cafeteria Workers – and all workers across this country – have the pay and the benefits and the respect you deserve, and you’ve earned.”
Workers at the Senate cafeteria proudly serve U.S. Senators and staffers every day at the Capitol. They are fighting for a union contract that will offer fair wages, affordable health insurance, a pension, and job security—the latter of which has become more urgent than ever. Currently, only 18% of workers are enrolled in health insurance through the company because it’s too expensive at their current wage scale.
Over the weekend when Brown heard the news of these layoffs, he led 17 of his Senate colleagues in sending a
letter to Senate Leadership urging them to provide funding to support the continued employment of the Senate cafeteria workers.
In January, the U.S. Senate
passed Brown’s resolution honoring the Capitol Hill janitorial and maintenance staff workers and United States Capitol Police Officers who risked their lives serving the country on January 6, 2021. Brown also
honored these workers on the Senate floor.
In April 2020, as the country was reeling from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown
wrote to then-Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), encouraging him to work with the Sergeant at Arms and the Attending Physician to take all necessary steps to protect Senate workers.
In 2019, Brown’s
legislation to restore full retirement benefits for certain Senate dining employees was signed into law. In 2008, the Senate privatized its dining operations, which changed the employment status of 45 Senate dining employees from federal employees to private contractor employees. In addition to changing the employment status of these workers, the 2008 law also froze their retirement benefits, which are based on workers’ pay, at 2008 wage levels. Even though workers’ pay increased in subsequent years, their retirement benefits stayed the same.
All official press releases from Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
