Service Employees International Union
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is the fastest-growing union in North America, with 2.1 million members across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico working in three service industry "divisions." It was a member of the AFL-CIO until 2005, when the SEIU president removed the labor union from it.
Industry divisions
Health Care - The over 1 million members in the health care field include nurses, LPNs, doctors, lab technicians, nursing home workers, home care workers.
Public Services - The 850,000 members in this sector are local and state government workers, public school employees, bus drivers, and child care providers. SEIU is the second largest union of public service employees.
Property Services - The 225,000 workers who protect and clean commercial and residential office buildings. This includes 50,000 private security officers and public safety personnel.
Leadership
- Andy Stern - Stern is SEIU International President.[1]
- Anna Burger - Burger is SEIU Secretary-Treasurer and the first chair of Change to Win. The Wall Street Journal's 2007 Top 50 Women to Watch sited Burger and Fortune Magazine sited her as "the most powerful woman in the labor movement."[2]
- Mary Kay Henry - Henry is SEIU International Executive Vice President.[3]
- Gerry Hudson - Hudson is SEIU Executive Vice President.[4]
- Eliseo Medina - Medina is SEIU Executive Vice President, leading efforts in the South and Southwest. The Los Angeles Times called him, "one of the most successful labor organizers in the country."[5]
- Dave Regan - Regan was recently elected to serve as SEIU Executive Vice President at the 2008 National Convention. He is a political and healthcare reform activist with almost 20 years of leadership experience in the labor movement.[6]
- Tom Woodruff - Woodruff is SEIU Executive Vice President. He has overseen organizing for SEIU since 1996 and has served as a top-ranking officer since 2000.[7][8]
Andy Stern's predecessor is current AFL-CIO President Emeritus, John Sweeney.
Projects
Forming Change to Win
SEIU helped form Change to Win. Along with with four other Change to Win unions, the Teamsters for a Democratic Union, UNITE HERE, the United Food and Commercial Workers, and the Carpenters, SEIU disaffiliated from the AFL-CIO.
SEIU, the Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA)[9], and the United Farm Workers are now developing strategies and organizing campaigns together.[10]
Americans for Health Care
This SEIU project is an effort to unite working families, small business owners, seniors, health care workers, community leaders, and policy makers to make health care cost less for consumers. The group says it is using a grassroots push in states across the map including Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington for health care policies will increase access to quality, affordable health care. According to the website, more than 350,000 "Health Care Voters" made the group's pledge to make health care a priority.[10]
PurpleOcean.org
This online Internet-based union affiliate is a project to connect union grassroots efforts online. For example, thousands of members protesting Wal-Mart's business model used the site to take action against it. Now, PurpleOcean.org redirects back to SEIU, but the original PurpleOcean.org was its own website.[10]
Immigrant workers
SEIU is helping ensure immigrant workers have a shot at the American dream. Representing more immigrants than any other union, SEIU has been a leading voice for immigration reform that rewards work and improves conditions for all working people in this country. SEIU helped pave the way for organized labor to support legalization for hard-working, tax-paying immigrants, and the union's civic participation program encourages immigrants to actively participate in our communities and our democracy.[10]
Health care projects
SEIU covers 2.1 million members working in the health care field, including 110,000 nurses and 40,000 doctors. Its Nurse Alliance was a lobbying effort behind the first federal "safe staffing" legislation. The legislation worked to establish minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. They also lobbied for a bill that would limit mandatory overtime in hospitals.
The project partnered with providers like Kaiser Permanente and the League of Voluntary Hospitals in New York for their union lobbying and organizing efforts..
SEIU is the largest union of long-term care workers in the United States, covering 500,000 home care and 160,000 nursing home workers.
In April 2005, 41,000 home care workers in Michigan joined SEIU along with California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois New York and other members' locations.[10]
Janitorial workers
Over 5,000 janitors in Houston formed a union in late 2005 and then joined SEIU janitors in almost 30 other major cities. According to the SEIU website, the Houston janitors will soon begin negotiating a "master agreement."[10]
Security workers
SEIU has made the U.S. private security industry a project by partnering with unions abroad (such as Sweden-based Securitas AB), community allies, civil rights organizations, community groups and churches to lobby for "career growth for a largely African-American workforce." SEIU represents more than 50,000 officers who work in the public and private sector.[10]
Child care workers
In Illinois, 49,000 family child care providers joined SEIU and won a contract including training incentives, health benefits, and pay increases, they raised the bar for quality child care services across the country. SEIU represents more than 200,000 people who work in child care and early education.[10]
Wal-Mart workers
SEIU led public campaigns across the map in 2005 against corporate Wal-Mart, successfully. In New Hampshire and California, workers fought corporate retirement security changes and helped pass bill in Maryland to be sure profitable corporations (like Wal-Mart) pay "their fair share" of their employee's healthcare. SEIU members helped raise $11.8 billion for public services in 15 states. The group helped get a pair of ballot initiatives passed that raised California revenues to maintain emergency centers in Los Angeles and Alameda Counties.[10]
SEIU local bases have worked with the Wal-Mart Alliance for Reform Now.
Since Sliced Bread
Since Sliced Bread was a project with the SEIU, to which the Open Society Institute contributed a $100,000 grand in 2006 for a 15-month term.[11]
Official partnerships
On SEIU's website, they list the following global partners:
- Public Services International
- International Transport Workers' Federation
- UNI Global Union, Property Services: G4S Alliance for Justice Campaign[12]
Connections to other organizations
According to Wade Rathke's blog, he is the founder and Chief Organizer of Community Organizations International[13] (formerly ACORN International[14]) and SEIU Local 100.
Through Rathke, as well as through other SEIU projects, the following are affiliated with SEIU:
- Community Organizations International
- Site Fighters[15]
- Tides Foundation, Rathke was a founding board member[16]
- Organizers’ Forum, a project of the Tides Foundation[17]
- Social Policy, a labor union publication[18]
- WARN[19], a joint community-labor effort with Wal-Mart’s expansion in Florida, California, India and Mexico
- ACORN, Rathke was the founder and formerly being its Chief Organizer[20]
- ACORN Community Labor Organizing Center (ACLOC)
- Transport and General Workers Union is in the U.K. and joined the SEIU to combat FirstGroup and its U.S. subsidiary, First Student. (On October 24, 2009, bus drivers for FirstGroup threatened to strike[21])
- George Soros' Open Society Institute, In 2006 for a 15-month term, the Open Society Institute awarded a $100,000 grant to the SEIU Support and Education Fund to support the Since Sliced Bread project.
Finances
Cycle | Total | Democrats | Republicans | % to Dems | % to Repubs | Individuals | PACs | Soft (Indivs) | Soft (Orgs) |
2010 | $305,950 | $305,950 | $-5,000 | 100% | -2% | $2,350 | $303,600 | $0 | $0 |
2008 | $2,687,853 | $2,538,603 | $136,000 | 94% | 5% | $167,303 | $2,520,550 | $0 | $0 |
2006 | $1,695,392 | $1,555,994 | $108,650 | 92% | 6% | $23,559 | $1,671,833 | $0 | $0 |
2004 | $2,299,912 | $2,003,162 | $291,750 | 87% | 13% | $72,662 | $2,227,250 | $0 | $0 |
2002 | $6,859,346 | $6,608,724 | $223,122 | 96% | 3% | $19,945 | $1,976,662 | $0 | $4,862,739 |
2000 | $6,380,110 | $6,150,835 | $212,650 | 96% | 3% | $13,565 | $2,078,449 | $400 | $4,287,696 |
1998 | $2,825,385 | $2,739,260 | $74,125 | 97% | 3% | $6,026 | $1,704,984 | $0 | $1,114,375 |
1996 | $1,707,552 | $1,702,802 | $3,750 | 100% | 0% | $18,282 | $1,156,390 | $0 | $532,880 |
1994 | $1,434,030 | $1,412,030 | $19,000 | 99% | 1% | $4,250 | $1,057,694 | $0 | $372,086 |
1992 | $1,080,356 | $1,058,724 | $8,750 | 98% | 1% | $3,150 | $898,031 | $0 | $179,175 |
1990 | $407,071 | $396,721 | $8,350 | 98% | 2% | $4,050 | $403,021 | N/A | N/A |
TOTAL | $27,682,957 | $26,472,805 | $1,081,147 | 96% | 4% | $335,142 | $15,998,464 | $400 | $11,348,951 |
The above information was gathered and presented by the Center for Responsive Politics OpenSecrets project.[22]
SEIU Affiliates
Affiliate | Total | Dems | Repubs |
1199SEIU | $2,450 | $1,950 | $500 |
SEIU Communication Center | $250 | $250 | $0 |
SEIU District 1199 Pennsylvania | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
SEIU District 1199 West Virginia | $250 | $250 | $0 |
SEIU District 1199 WV/OH/KY | $200 | $200 | $0 |
SEIU Health & Welfare Fund | $500 | $500 | $0 |
SEIU Healthcare Minnesota | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania | $250 | $250 | $0 |
SEIU Illinois State Council | $500 | $500 | $0 |
SEIU Local 1 | $1,550 | $1,550 | $0 |
SEIU Local 221 | $250 | $250 | $0 |
SEIU Local 521 | $250 | $250 | $0 |
SEIU Local 660 | $450 | $450 | $0 |
SEIU Local 880 | $500 | $500 | $0 |
SEIU Local 925 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
SEIU Michigan Quality Home Care Campaign | $600 | $600 | $0 |
SEIU Soula 2006 | $2,050 | $2,050 | $0 |
SEIU State Council | $300 | $300 | $0 |
SEIU United Healthcare Workers | $3,350 | $3,350 | $0 |
SEIU United Healthcare Workers West | $5,100 | $5,100 | $0 |
SEIU Local | $700 | $700 | $0 |
SEIU Local 1 | $5,825 | $5,825 | $0 |
SEIU Local 1000 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $0 |
SEIU Local 1021 | $250 | $250 | $0 |
SEIU Local 1107 | $225 | $225 | $0 |
SEIU Local 113 | $250 | $250 | $0 |
SEIU Local 1199 | $5,352,749 | $5,340,574 | $5,250 |
SEIU Local 1199P | $2,050 | $2,050 | $0 |
SEIU Local 16 | $500 | $500 | $0 |
SEIU Local 1877 | $340 | $340 | $0 |
SEIU Local 1999 | $751,000 | $750,500 | $0 |
SEIU Local 200 | $500 | $500 | $0 |
SEIU Local 200d | $206 | $206 | $0 |
SEIU Local 2028 | $400 | $400 | $0 |
SEIU Local 221 | $500 | $0 | $500 |
SEIU Local 235 | $250 | $250 | $0 |
SEIU Local 236 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
SEIU Local 24369 | $250 | $250 | $0 |
SEIU Local 250 | $3,650 | $3,650 | $0 |
SEIU Local 300 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
SEIU Local 32bj | $750 | $750 | $0 |
SEIU Local 347 | $1,700 | $1,700 | $0 |
SEIU Local 35 | $200 | $200 | $0 |
SEIU Local 355 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $0 |
SEIU Local 399 | $790 | $790 | $0 |
SEIU Local 4 | $200 | $200 | $0 |
SEIU Local 400 | $200 | $200 | $0 |
SEIU Local 434B | $5,048 | $5,048 | $0 |
SEIU Local 49 | $250 | $250 | $0 |
SEIU Local 5000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | $0 |
SEIU Local 503 | $1,465 | $1,465 | $0 |
SEIU Local 508 | $250 | $250 | $0 |
SEIU Local 517 | $300 | $300 | $0 |
SEIU Local 521 | $250 | $250 | $0 |
SEIU Local 531 | $250 | $250 | $0 |
SEIU Local 535 | $2,400 | $2,400 | $0 |
SEIU Local 585 | $300 | $300 | $0 |
SEIU Local 615 | $260 | $260 | $0 |
SEIU Local 617 | $2,625 | $2,375 | $250 |
SEIU Local 660 | $8,692 | $8,692 | $0 |
SEIU Local 668 | $500 | $500 | $0 |
SEIU Local 715 | $950 | $750 | $0 |
SEIU Local 721 | $2,325 | $2,325 | $0 |
SEIU Local 73 | $700 | $700 | $0 |
SEIU Local 74 | $20,000 | $20,000 | $0 |
SEIU Local 760 | $250 | $250 | $0 |
SEIU Local 775 | $250 | $250 | $0 |
SEIU Local 790 | $250 | $250 | $0 |
SEIU Local 80 | $300 | $300 | $0 |
SEIU Local 880 | $750 | $750 | $0 |
SEIU Local 99 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
SEIU/Florida | $350 | $0 | $350 |
SEIU/Illinois | $3,250 | $1,250 | $2,000 |
SEIU/Nage | $250 | $250 | $0 |
SEIU/New York | $2,446 | $2,446 | $0 |
SEIU/West | $2,100 | $2,100 | $0 |
SEIU/Pennsylvania | $500 | $500 | $0 |
TOTAL | $6,225,046 | $6,208,571 | $8,850 |
Top recipients of SEIU PAC funds
The following is a list of the top recipients of SEIU PAC funds, recorded in total contributions:[24]
Name | Total Contributions |
Steny Hoyer (D-Md) | $74,550 |
Charles Rangel (D-NY) | $74,000 |
Barack Obama (D-Ill) | $73,818 |
Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) | $73,000 |
David Obey (D-Wis) | $72,000 |
Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif) | $71,500 |
Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) | $70,500 |
Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill) | $69,200 |
Louise Slaughter (D-NY) | $68,000 |
Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) | $67,750 |
Sander Levin (D-Mich) | $65,950 |
Henry Waxman (D-Calif) | $64,500 |
Maxine Waters (D-Calif) | $64,000 |
Richard Gephardt (D-Mo) | $63,000 |
Donald Payne (D-NJ) | $62,175 |
George Miller (D-Calif) | $61,300 |
José Serrano (D-NY) | $61,000 |
Lane Evans (D-Ill) | $60,800 |
Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) | $60,550 |
David Bonior (D-Mich) | $60,400 |
Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) | $60,000 |
Barbara Lee (D-Calif) | $59,999 |
Martin Frost (D-Texas) | $58,000 |
Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) | $57,500 |
Ron Kind (D-Wis) | $57,500 |
Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn) | $56,250 |
Jane Harman (D-Calif) | $55,000 |
Bob Filner (D-Calif) | $54,950 |
Eliot Engel (D-NY) | $54,500 |
Xavier Becerra (D-Calif) | $54,000 |
Nita Lowey (D-NY) | $54,000 |
Mark Udall (D-Colo) | $53,550 |
Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa) | $53,000 |
Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis) | $52,500 |
Shelley Berkley (D-Nev) | $52,000 |
Corrine Brown (D-Fla) | $51,750 |
Jim Maloney (D-Conn) | $51,500 |
Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga) | $51,500 |
Steve Israel (D-NY) | $50,750 |
Gary Ackerman (D-NY) | $50,500 |
Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio) | $50,500 |
Kendrick Meek (D-Fla) | $50,500 |
Bennie Thompson (D-Miss) | $50,500 |
Major Owens (D-NY) | $49,250 |
Lois Capps (D-Calif) | $49,000 |
Robert Menendez (D-NJ) | $48,750 |
Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) | $48,650 |
Elijah Cummings (D-Md) | $48,500 |
John Lewis (D-Ga) | $48,500 |
Ted Strickland (D-Ohio) | $48,500 |
Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill) | $48,300 |
Barbara Boxer (D-Calif) | $48,000 |
John Kerry (D-Mass) | $47,047 |
Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif) | $46,700 |
Pete Stark (D-Calif) | $45,650 |
Joe Baca (D-Calif) | $45,500 |
Jay Inslee (D-Wash) | $45,500 |
Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich) | $45,500 |
Chris Cannon (R-Utah) | $45,000 |
Darlene Hooley (D-Ore) | $45,000 |
Anthony Weiner (D-NY) | $44,750 |
James Clyburn (D-SC) | $43,500 |
Jim Marshall (D-Ga) | $43,000 |
Patty Murray (D-Wash) | $43,000 |
Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich) | $43,000 |
Brian Baird (D-Wash) | $42,600 |
John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich) | $42,500 |
Bill Delahunt (D-Mass) | $42,500 |
Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) | $42,500 |
Nick Lampson (D-Texas) | $42,500 |
Mike Ross (D-Ark) | $42,500 |
John Dingell (D-Mich) | $42,250 |
Howard Berman (D-Calif) | $42,200 |
Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) | $42,000 |
Melvin Watt (D-NC) | $41,700 |
Adam Smith (D-Wash) | $41,100 |
Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill) | $41,000 |
Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) | $40,750 |
Gregory Meeks (D-NY) | $40,750 |
Anna Eshoo (D-Calif) | $40,350 |
Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) | $40,000 |
Chaka Fattah (D-Pa) | $39,500 |
Tom Allen (D-Maine) | $39,000 |
Joseph Crowley (D-NY) | $39,000 |
Alcee Hastings (D-Fla) | $39,000 |
Baron Hill (D-Ind) | $39,000 |
John Olver (D-Mass) | $39,000 |
Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) | $39,000 |
Ciro Rodriguez (D-Texas) | $39,000 |
Michael McNulty (D-NY) | $38,750 |
Dale Kildee (D-Mich) | $38,500 |
Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) | $38,250 |
Mike Doyle (D-Pa) | $38,000 |
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif) | $38,000 |
David Wu (D-Ore) | $38,000 |
Mike Honda (D-Calif) | $37,950 |
Danny Davis (D-Ill) | $37,500 |
Brad Sherman (D-Calif) | $37,200 |
Bobby Rush (D-Ill) | $37,000 |
Carl Levin (D-Mich) | $36,750 |
Top recipients of SEIU contributions
The following are the top recipients of funds from SEIU for the 2010 election cycle, as of November 8, 2009.[25]
Recipient | Amount |
Judy Chu | $15,000 |
Scott Murphy | $15,000 |
Michael Quigley | $15,000 |
Kendrick Meek | $10,250 |
Steve Israel | $10,000 |
George Miller | $10,000 |
Charles Rangel | $10,000 |
Carolyn Maloney | $9,500 |
Donna Edwards | $7,500 |
Blanche Lincoln | $7,500 |
Mark Schauer | $7,500 |
Sara Feigenholtz | $6,000 |
Kirsten Gillibrand | $6,000 |
Harry Reid | $5,350 |
Mike Arcuri | $5,000 |
Timothy Bishop | $5,000 |
Michael Capuano | $5,000 |
Robin Carnahan | $5,000 |
Christopher Carney | $5,000 |
Tarryl Clark | $5,000 |
The following are the top recipients of funds from SEIU for the 2008 election cycle, as of November 8, 2009.[26]
Recipient | Amount |
Barack Obama | $74,578 |
Donald Cazayoux | $22,500 |
Bill Foster | $20,000 |
Al Franken | $20,000 |
Donna Edwards | $18,500 |
Laura Richardson | $17,500 |
Mary Jo Kilroy | $15,000 |
James Francis Martin | $15,000 |
Harry Teague | $15,000 |
Jay Rockefeller | $12,300 |
Judith Feder | $11,250 |
Joe Garcia | $11,000 |
John Edwards | $10,800 |
Eric Massa | $10,750 |
Nancy Pelosi | $10,650 |
George Miller | $10,600 |
Jan Schakowsky | $10,600 |
Ashwin Madia | $10,500 |
Dina Titus | $10,500 |
Mark Begich | $10,250 |
Lobbying
SEIU lobbying expenditures are totaled at $1,404,772. Of that, $1,382,272 is specifically from the parent SEIU organization, $22,500 is from the subsidiary Local 32B-32J SEIU (which all went to Bill Lynch Associates), and $0 is from subsidiary 1199 (the SEIU Healthcare Education Project).[27]
Controversy
Obama's SEIU Thugs Attack a Black Conservative Outside Russ Carnahan Town Hall |
External links
- Service Employees International Union website
- SEIU Press Kit
- SEIU blog
- SEIU on Twitter
- SEIU on YouTube
- SEIU on Flickr
- SEIU on Facebook
- Closer look at SEIU
- Bill Lynch Associates website
- Muckety map of SEIU
References
- ↑ Andy Stern
- ↑ Anna Burger
- ↑ Mary Kay Henry
- ↑ Gerry Hudson]
- ↑ Eliseo Medina
- ↑ Dave Regan
- ↑ Tom Woodruff
- ↑ Leadership at SEIU
- ↑ LiUNA website
- ↑ Jump up to: 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 A closer look at SEIU
- ↑ Wayback Machine of Since Sliced Bread
- ↑ SEIU global partnerships
- ↑ Community Organizations International website
- ↑ ACORN International, Inc.
- ↑ Site Fighters website
- ↑ Tides Foundation website
- ↑ Organizers' Forum website
- ↑ Social Policy website
- ↑ Wal-Mart Alliance for Reform Now website
- ↑ Wade Rathke's blog, organizations
- ↑ "Bus drivers threaten FirstGroup with strike," Independent, October 24, 2009
- ↑ SEIU on OpenSecrets
- ↑ Service Employees International Union Affiliates, OpenSecrets
- ↑ SEIU PAC fund recipients
- ↑ Service Employees International Union: Recipients for 2010 Cycle, OpenSecrets
- ↑ Service Employees International Union: Recipients for 2008 Cycle, OpenSecrets
- ↑ OpenSecrets, SEIU lobbying