In February 2026, staff on Graham Platner’s campaign for U.S. Senate officially joined IBEW Local 1837 after the campaign voluntarily recognized the union and negotiated a first collective bargaining agreement.
The agreement, which was reached in just a few hours of bargaining and ratified by the staff, established competitive wages, quality healthcare coverage, paid time off, workplace protections, and a formal grievance procedure. The campaign’s collaborative approach to organizing and bargaining demonstrated what is possible when employers respect workers’ right to organize and engage in good-faith collective bargaining.
The successful organizing effort helped expand IBEW Local 1837’s representation of political and campaign workers and set an example for other campaigns seeking to support working people not only through their platform, but also through their workplace practices.
