SEIU and Sodexo Reach Amicable Settlement

Sep 15, 2011 - The 2.1 million member Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and Sodexo, the world's 21st largest employer, have reached an amicable settlement of their differences. Under this settlement, SEIU and Sodexo have affirmed their mutual commitment to the rights of Sodexo employees to make free and informed choices about unionization. Read more...

SEIU 32BJ ad: There's a Scrooge lurking over Brooklyn

Dec 29, 2010 - Just before the holidays, David Bistricer - who controls Flatbush Gardens, a massive 59 building apartment complex in New York City - Iocked out more than 70 longtime building employees in an attempt to force them to accept a devastating 34 percent wage cut. With such poor treatment of workers and some 8,000 housing violations at the complex, it's easy to see why Bistricer is called one of the "Worst Landlords" in the city. Read more...

Veterans and community leaders hold press conference about the need for good jobs in Indianapolis' security industry

Nov 12, 2010 - In Indianapolis this week, local veterans were joined by faith and community leaders for a press conference about improving security jobs in the community. Similar to press conferences held in Cincinnati and Portland, security officers who once served in our armed forces stood up and called for the better training, higher pay and affordable healthcare that officers need to do their jobs well. Read more...

Cincinnati Veteran: "There's nothing I care about more than my community and my fellow man."

Nov 12, 2010 - This week in Cincinnati, Ohio, veterans, armed service personnel and local community leaders held a press conference calling for improved jobs in the security industry - a sector in which many veterans and armed service personnel work as security guards after serving their country. Read more...

When Cutting Corners Means Cutting Valuable Jobs

Sep 02, 2010 - JPMorgan Chase has argued that the firing of 16 janitors has nothing to do with their company, saying, "The dispute is between a vendor and employees, not Chase." But the buildings these janitors clean aren't owned by the vendor; they're owned by JPMorgan. The floors these janitors vacuum have the imprints of JPMorgan executives' expensive leather shoes. Read more...

30,000 NYC Apartment Building Workers Secure Four Year Contract

May 25, 2010 - SEIU 32BJ building service workers have come a long way since the threat of a strike loomed large on the horizon just one month ago. On Friday, a four-year agreement was reached between 32BJ and the Realty Advisory Board (RAB) that provides nearly 10% in wage increases, maintains fully employer-paid family health care coverage and keeps pension benefits secure. Read more...

Behind-The-Scenes Of The Doormen Strike That Almost Was

Apr 27, 2010 - GritTV was on the ground documenting the mobilization that took place behind SEIU Local 32BJ's negotiations with the New York Realty Association Board recently, as the apartment building service workers fought for a new contract that would preserve benefits and allow them to make a livable wage. Read more...

Strike Averted for 30,000 NYC Apartment Building Workers

Apr 21, 2010 - GREAT news out of New York City for 30,000 of the city's doormen, security guards, bellhops, concierges, supervisors and handymen. It really came down to the wire, but at 12:10 a.m. Wednesday morning--just past the formal expiration of the previous contract--SEIU 32BJ apartment building workers won a tentative four-year agreement with the Realty Advisory Board that includes $547 million in wage and benefit increases. Read more...

The Clock is Ticking...Strike by 30,000 NYC Apartment Building Workers Could Begin At Midnight

Apr 20, 2010 - More than 1 million people throughout New York City could find their apartment buildings absent of the doormen, security guards, bellhops, concierges, supervisors and handymen whose services they rely on--and these aren't the only services they could be missing, come midnight tonight. Read more...

Keeping NYC A Place Working Families
Can Afford to Call Home

Apr 08, 2010 - In less than two weeks, more than one million people throughout New York City could find their apartment buildings absent of the doormen, security guards, bellhops, concierges, supervisors and handymen whose services they rely on. Read more...

Will 30,000 NYC Apartment Building Workers Go on Strike?

Apr 07, 2010 - Failure to reach a new contract by 12:01 am on April 21st could lead to a strike of apartment building workers at over 3,200 apartment buildings in New York City. The bottom line: Nobody wants a strike, but if the Realty Advisory Board (RAB) and SEIU Local 32BJ cannot not reach a new contract agreement before this time, it's likely going to be the outcome. Read more...

SEIU Local 26 fights to prevent anymore window washers from plunging to their deaths

Apr 05, 2010 - Three window washers from the Minneapolis area have died from accidents while washing windows at work in the last few years. Most recently, this type of senseless tragedy took the life of SEIU Local 26 member Fidel Sanchez-Flores, who was killed when he fell while working at the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis. When window washers and members of his union demanded increased safety standards regarding new ropes and rope attachment points, their employer locked them out of their jobs. Read more...

Recovery Act Grants Help SEIU Grow Green Training Programs

Jan 12, 2010 - Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor announced $7.4 million in green jobs training grants to SEIU Local 32BJ and H-Cap, a national partnership of SEIU healthcare unions and major employers. These two grants are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will provide essential green training to help 5,200 Americans get jobs in expanding green industries over the next two years. Read more...

Turning the Big Apple into the Big Green Apple

Oct 11, 2009 - The energy consumption of our nation's large buildings is inextricably linked to the talent, training, and hard work of building operators. Teaching our building operators to maintain our large structures is the highest-impact way to address the climate crisis, at the lowest cost. The Urban Green Council (United States Green Building Council of New York) and SEIU Local 32BJ have released a report detailing the essential role that building workers play in improving energy efficiency and discuss how 32BJ's training initiative will help New York City's building superintendents go green. Read more...

Around the union: Quick hits

Aug 10, 2009 - In union news this week...disability service workers at NY's Ulster-Greene ARC vote to join a union, SEIU hosts a conference call with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and 32BJ launches the first-ever Green Buildings Initiative to train building superintendents in energy efficiency, plus much more. Read more...

The Vanguard of an American Clean Energy Revolution

Aug 10, 2009 - The benefits of green buildings cannot be overstated--and one of the most cost-effective ways to "green" a building is to ensure that it has a knowledgeable and well-trained workforce. SEIU 32BJ's Training Fund has developed the first-ever Green Buildings Initiative to train building superintendents in the latest, state-of-the-art, best practices in energy efficiency. Read more...

Recognize the important role food service workers play in your kids' health

Jul 16, 2009 - Yesterday, Service Workers United cafeteria workers from across the country went to Capitol Hill to lobby members of Congress for stronger USDA Child Nutrition Programs. Watch Illinois food service worker Marlon Taylor discuss why he loves his job working with kids and why it's important to improve the Child Nutrition Act. Read more...

School Food Workers to Members of Congress: We're Hungry for Change

Jul 15, 2009 - For the first time in the 63-year history of our nation's School Lunch Program, front-line food service workers are on Capitol Hill today to petition their government to strengthen the program that serves food to more than 30 million children every day. Read more...

32BJ Endorses Mayor Bloomberg for Re-election

Jul 15, 2009 - Yesterday, SEIU Local 32BJ endorsed Michael Bloomberg for re-election. Why? Because Bloomberg has proven his commitment to working families, raising security industry standards and taking action to make sure out-of-work New Yorkers have the resources necessary to find employment. Read more...

CSEA/SEIU Local 2001 to Protest Scheme to Outsource Students' Health and Safety

Jul 14, 2009 - Members of the CSEA/SEIU Local 2001 chapter that represents the Connecticut Windham Public Schools' food service workers will speak out against outsourcing food services at Board of Education public forum tonight. Read more...

Living wages are in Con Ed's Power

Jul 06, 2009 - Con Ed employee Fernando Cruz is one of more than 28 million people--about a quarter of the working-age workforce--who work full time yet still earn less than the income that marks the federal poverty line for a family of four: $9.04 per hour, a full-time salary of $18,800 a year. Read more...

Green jobs and energy are focus of President's first Economic Recovery Advisory Board meeting

May 20, 2009 - During the first quarterly meeting of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board, SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger and fifteen other board members discussed green jobs and energy with the President, sharing their expertise on the creation of a comprehensive energy plan that will generate millions of clean energy jobs. Read more...

Report shows NJ food service workers get low pay, few benefits

May 08, 2009 - Thousands of school food service workers in New Jersey are living at or near poverty, according to a new report commissioned by SEIU Local 32BJ, which found that the average hourly wage for food preparation workers in educational services was only $8.15, and that most had no health benefits. Read more...

Congressman Boren and Cintas Hanging You Out to Dry

Mar 17, 2009 - Corporate special interests are spending *millions* of dollars on lies, propaganda and twisting arms -- all in a desperate, greedy bid to keep hard-working Oklahomans like you from sharing in the American Dream. And Rep. Dan Boren is more than happy to help those corporate interests. Read more...

Green Jobs: "Clear Path to a Stronger Middle Class and a Stronger American Economy"

Feb 27, 2009 - The world is facing a historic opportunity to rebuild our global economy through investments in sustainable projects that will create new jobs, reduce our dependence on oil and protect our planet after decades of mismanagement. Read more...

Celebrating Black History: special edition computer desktop wallpapers

Feb 12, 2009 - As part of SEIU's 12th annual celebration of Black History Month, our talented SEIU Creative Services team has designed four special-edition computer desktop wallpapers for use on your Mac or PC. Download them now and you can celebrate Black History Month all month at work or at home. Read more...

Good Jobs, Green Jobs: Help Wanted

Feb 05, 2009 - Green job creation and training is happening right now, all over the country, fueled by the belief that it is possible to ease the intensity of our climate crisis and employ more people to work in better jobs (all at the same time). Read more...

CA Security Officers win historic victory as Kaiser Permanente replaces irresponsible contractor

Jan 23, 2009 - Security officers who work for Kaiser Permanente medical facilities won a big victory over irresponsible security contractor Inter-Con. -- a company that used threats, intimidation and termination tactics for three years against struggling officers supporting efforts to join a union. Read more...

'Workers of the World, Unite': Case Study Recognizes SEIU's International Campaign Efforts

Nov 21, 2008 - Today, the Journal of the International Centre for Trade Union Rights (ICTUR) called SEIU's global effort to organize private security officers in several African countries, the United Kingdom, and other locations "One of the most developed campaigns aimed at building a global union and raising standards for low wage service..." Read more...

Who We Are

Nov 12, 2008 - [youtube video] Read more...