Workers at Obama’s ‘Death Star’ presidential library strike back, vow to unionize over benefit cuts, ‘increasing workloads’

Employees at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago are unionizing over their working conditions, claiming benefits have been cut and workloads are increasing just four months after the center opened in June.

Workers circulated a letter to staff Wednesday announcing their intent to unionize, complaining about “increasing” workloads and “vague responses” from administrators to a list of complaints they’d raised, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Some of the complaints suggested the $900 million presidential center — often maligned for resembling the Star Wars Death Star or a huge trash bin — could already be facing financial trouble.

They included the center’s recent halting of raises and promotions, an increase in their healthcare costs, and a reduction of paid time off — all of which the letter said have led to a “high turnover rate” and exiting employees “taking with them their institutional knowledge and expertise.”

Just how vital those four months of “institutional knowledge” was remains unclear. Still, the workers had an ace in the hole in their pitch: President Obama’s own glowing words endorsing unions in 2016.

“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,” the letter quoted Obama.

The Obama Foundation, which financed construction of the library, had $1.1 million in assets last year — but revenue plunged 25% from $210 million in 2024 to $159 million in 2025, according to tax documents.

At least 68 Obama Center employees had signed the letter as of Wednesday, with unionizers actively recruiting everybody on the 250-person staff to join — and urging leadership “not waste resources on anti-union messaging, anti-union lawyers, or anti-union meetings.”

“What we’re hoping for, and really the reason why we’re forming our union, is just because we believe we should have a say in the decisions that are being made that impact all of our lives,” said Obama Foundation employee Luke Gilday.

“At the end of the day, we’re the ones who are facing those impacts, and we don’t even have a seat at the table,” he said — adding that he thought Obama himself would be pleased to see them unionize.

“Mr. and Mrs. Obama’s legacy is one of hope,” Gilday said. “It’s one of fairness, and it’s one of transparency … by forming our union, all we’re doing is living out that legacy.”

And the Obama Foundation didn’t seem to be making any bones about the plans.

“We are deeply committed to the fundamental right of workers to organize and make their voices heard,” a spokesperson told the Sun Times.

“As members of our staff explore union representation, we approach this process with immense gratitude for their contributions, deep respect for unions, and a sincere commitment to working collaboratively with our partners in labor,” they added.

–

Original Article: Workers at Obama’s ‘Death Star’ presidential library strike back, vow to unionize over benefit cuts, ‘increasing workloads’