The St. Louis Board of Aldermen on Oct. 10 adopted resolution 1‑18 (floor substitute), voluntarily recognizing the United Auto Workers (UAW) as the bargaining representative for legislative staff at the Board of Aldermen.

The resolution, introduced by Alderman Rasheen Aldrich (14th Ward) and cosponsored by President Megan Green and Alderwoman Laura Keyes, was amended as a floor substitute to add legal staff and to make stylistic cleanups before the body voted to adopt the substitute and the resolution. Aldrich said the effort was worker-driven, that organizers had collected signed authorization cards from about 75% of the bargaining unit, and that staff members could pursue either a voluntary recognition or petition for an election.

Aldrich praised legislative staff organizing efforts and said union representation would provide infrastructure and workplace protections. He thanked UAW organizers and staff leaders who participated in the effort and named several staff members involved in the organizing effort.

A roll-call vote on the floor substitute recorded 11 aye votes and 3 abstentions; the clerk announced, “By your vote, you sustain the motion ... to adopt resolution 1‑18 floor substitute.” The meeting transcript records specific abstentions during the roll call (Alderman Oldenburg, Alderman Boyd and Alderman DeVote were recorded as abstaining in the roll call sequence). The board directed that the city negotiate in good faith with the UAW and the legislative staff organizing committee (LSOC), per the language of the adopted resolution.

The adopted floor substitute text in the meeting record states that the Board voluntarily recognizes UAW as the bargaining representative and that the Board will commit to negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement with UAW and the LSOC.