Scoop: Congressional Dems help fuel more D.C. labor wars

Driving the news: More than 70% of workers at The Duck & the Peach, La Collina, and The Wells on Capitol Hill informed management on Tuesday that they want a fair process to unionize, per a representative for Unite Here Local 25, the group behind the politico-allied unionization drives.

• Workers approached the union earlier this year, spokesperson Benjy Cannon tells Axios.
• James Beard-finalist Hollis Wells Silverman founded the restaurants.
• They're high-dollar fundraising venues where political spending, mostly from Democrats, has amounted to $1.4 million since 2023, per federal filings.

The other side: Wells Silverman didn't return a request for comment from Axios.

Flashback: Earlier this year, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi vowed to boycott Le Diplomate, Rasika and several other D.C. restaurants.

What they're saying: "We're hopeful for the chance to patronize another union establishment in our nation's capital," says Julie Merz, executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The intrigue: In addition to the DCCC, several Democratic lawmakers signaled they're prepared to add the Capitol Hill restaurants to their boycott list.

• "I'm proud to stand in solidarity," Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nevada), who is co-chair of the Congressional Labor Caucus, said in a statement.
• Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) told Axios: "I'm a labor Democrat, so I'm always going to be with workers."

What's next: Workers hope the restaurant ownership swiftly agrees to a fair process to unionize, like José Andrés did at The Bazaar.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect the restaurants saw $1.4 million in spending from all parties (not just Democrats) and to note that workers want the restaurants' founder to agree to a fair process for unionizing (not to swiftly recognize the union).