Obama Foundation Workers Seek Union as CEO Pay Hits $771,000 and Half Earn Over $100,000
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 17
Obama Foundation Workers Seek Union as CEO Pay Hits $771,000 and Half Earn Over $100,000
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 17
Summary
Dozens of Obama Foundation employees are seeking union representation, saying workloads have risen while benefits were rolled back and support from leadership weakened.
The organizing drive spans visitor services, cleaning, museum, technology, education and global-program staff under Obama Workers United with AFSCME Council 31.
The push comes as the foundation's 2025 filing showed 172 of 342 employees earned more than $100,000, with CEO Valerie Jarrett paid about $771,000.
The foundation said it respects workers' right to organize and defended pay as market-competitive, while an outside nonprofit expert said the salary mix is atypical for nonprofits but plausible for a specialized, expertise-heavy organization.
The labor dispute adds to scrutiny of the Obama Foundation as payroll and benefits reached $50.4 million in 2025 and the Obama Presidential Center's cost has climbed to about $1 billion.