Office and Professional Employees International Union

Office and Professional Employees International Union
Name	Office and Professional Employees International Union
Founded	1945
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois
Members	100,000+
Parent organization	Change to Win Federation
Key people	Mary Kay Henry; Richard Trumka; Lynn Rhinehart

Office and Professional Employees International Union is a North American labor union representing clerical, administrative, technical, and professional workers across multiple industries. Founded in the mid-20th century, it has engaged with labor federations, municipal employers, federal agencies, and private corporations to expand union representation. The union has been active in collective bargaining, political campaigns, and international labor solidarity.

History

The union emerged in the aftermath of World War II alongside organizations such as the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations during an era shaped by the Taft–Hartley Act and the New Deal. Early leaders collaborated with figures from the AFL–CIO and engaged with municipal campaigns in cities like Chicago and New York City. During the Cold War, interactions with unions such as the United Auto Workers and the Teamsters influenced jurisdictional alignments, while landmark labor disputes echoed precedents set in the Haymarket affair era. Later decades saw the union involved in labor reform debates during administrations of presidents like Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Lyndon B. Johnson, and in policy discussions alongside organizations such as the National Labor Relations Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The union navigated changes with the decline of manufacturing and the rise of service-sector employers including AT&T, Walmart, and financial institutions in Wall Street.

Structure and Membership

The union organizes through local and regional bodies that coordinate with national and international federations including the Change to Win Federation and at times the International Brotherhood of Teamsters on joint campaigns. Membership spans clerical workers at institutions like Columbia University, administrative staff at hospitals associated with Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins Hospital, and technical employees in companies such as Microsoft, Google, and IBM. Governance involves elected officers modeled after structures used by the United Steelworkers and Service Employees International Union, with conventions similar to those of the Teamsters and rules intersecting with statutes like the National Labor Relations Act. The union negotiates pension and benefit plans that interface with entities such as the Social Security Administration and financial trustees aligned with standards from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Organizing and Collective Bargaining

Organizing drives have targeted employers from the public sector—including municipal administrations in Los Angeles and Philadelphia—to private corporations such as Bank of America, Citigroup, and health systems like Kaiser Permanente. Campaigns often mirror tactics used by the United Food and Commercial Workers and leverage legal precedents from cases adjudicated by the National Labor Relations Board and courts including the United States Court of Appeals. Collective bargaining agreements address wages, workplace safety, and telework policies in sectors represented by unions like the Communication Workers of America and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Negotiated provisions align with standards influenced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and benefit frameworks comparable to those overseen by the Department of Labor.

Political Activity and Advocacy

The union engages in political advocacy at federal and state levels, endorsing candidates in elections involving figures such as Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and gubernatorial contests in states like California and New York (state). It participates in coalitions with the AFL–CIO and advocacy groups that interact with legislation like the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act and tax policy debates in the Internal Revenue Service. The union has lobbied on issues including labor law reform alongside organizations such as the National Employment Law Project and civil rights groups including the NAACP and ACLU. Voter mobilization efforts have coincided with campaigns run by MoveOn.org and labor-aligned political action committees similar to those operated by the Service Employees International Union.

Major Strikes and Campaigns

Notable labor actions have involved campaigns and strikes against major employers and institutions reminiscent of disputes involving General Motors and public-sector strikes in municipalities like San Francisco and Chicago. High-profile negotiations have intersected with healthcare strikes at systems like Massachusetts General Hospital and university labor actions at institutions such as Harvard University and Yale University. Campaigns have used tactics parallel to those of the United Auto Workers in the 21st-century wave of strikes and have coordinated solidarity actions with international unions including the Canadian Labour Congress and the International Trade Union Confederation.

International Affiliations and Relations

The union maintains relationships with labor organizations in Canada and Latin America, engaging with bodies like the Canadian Labour Congress and regional federations that participate in forums with the International Labour Organization and the Organization of American States. It collaborates on cross-border labor standards with unions such as the Public Service Alliance of Canada and multinational campaigns that intersect with corporate headquarters in Toronto, Mexico City, and London. International solidarity efforts have mirrored alliances formed by unions like the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the United Steelworkers in transnational bargaining and supply-chain campaigns.

Category:Trade unions in the United States Category:Trade unions in Canada