Service Employees International Union

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Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is a labor union representing 1.9 million workers in about 100 occupations in the United States and Canada. The main divisions are health care (around 50% of the union's membership), including hospital, home care and nursing home workers, public services (government employees), and property services (including janitors and security officers).

SEIU is based in Washington, D.C., and is structured into seven internal departments: Communications, Education, Human Rights, International Affairs, Organization, Political, and Research.

Petition blocking lawsuit

On October 30, 2007, Ralph Nader named SEIU as a co-defendant in Nader v. DNC. In the lawsuit, 2004 Reform Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader accuses the Democratic National Committee of "groundless and abusive litigation" to bankrupt Ralph Nader's campaign and force him off the ballot in 18 states.[1],[2]

SEIU involvement in ballot measure campaigns

SEIU affiliates are significant donors to political committees that both oppose and support ballot measures in states throughout the country.

See:

Year State Initiative Subject Matter SEIU position SEIU donations[1] Election Result
2008 California Proposition 93 Softening of Term limits Supported $100,000 Failed[2]
2007 Oregon Measure 50[3] Cigarette tax hike Supported $142,460 Failed[4]
2007 Washington Initiative 960 Tax limitation Opposed See here Passed[5]
2006 Arizona Proposition 202 Minimum wage increase Supported $615,976 Passed[6]
2006 Colorado Amendment 43 Definition of marriage Opposed $150,000 Passed[7]
2006 Oregon Measures 41&48 State income tax deduction equal to federal exemptions (M41)[8] & Government spending cap (M48)[9] Opposed/Opposed $516,632[10] Both Failed [11]
2006 Oregon Measure 45 Term limits Opposed $120,167 Failed[12]
2006 Oregon Measures 46 & 47 Campaign finance reform Opposed/Opposed $145,167[13] M46 Failed[14] M47 Passed[15]
2004 Arizona Proposition 200 [16] Proof of citizenship for voting/benefits[3][17] Opposed $660,000 Passed[18]
2004 California Proposition 56 Reduce vote threshold needed for state leg to enact budget/tax increases Supported $9 million Failed
2002 California Proposition 42 Funding for transportation Supported $950,000 Passed[19]
2000 California Proposition 38[4] Pro-school vouchers Opposed $200,000 Failed[20]

History

The SEIU was founded in 1921 in Chicago; its first members were janitors, elevator operators, and window washers. Membership increased significantly with a strike in New York City's Garment District in 1934. Formerly known as the Building Service Employees' International Union, it absorbed the International Jewelry Workers Union in 1980 and later the Drug, Hospital, and Health Care Employees Union (Local 1199), Health & Human Services Workers.

In 1995, SEIU President John Sweeney was elected president of the AFL-CIO, the labor federation that serves as an umbrella organization for unions. After Sweeney's departure, former social worker Andrew Stern was elected president of SEIU. In the first ten years of Stern's administration, the union's membership grew rapidly, making SEIU the largest union in the AFL-CIO by 2000.

External links

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/5259684.html
  2. ↑ http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jSJzOBT1G4nHh_7HFNBZLzNQVo-wD8SJQAP00
  3. ↑ http://www.azsos.gov/election/2004/info/pubpamphlet/english/prop200.pdf
  4. ↑ http://vote2000.sos.ca.gov/VoterGuide/text/text_noarg_38.htm

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