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Why Join?

If you have a union at your work, print the  membership application form and take it to your steward.

If you do not have a union at your job, find out more about how to form one by contacting a union organizer at SEIU521.


1. In addition to higher wages, union workers enjoy better health insurance, pensions, occupational safety and health, and job security than do unorganized workers.
2. Far more than unorganized workers, union employees receive fair treatment, rights, dignity, and respect on the job.
3. SEIU doesn't  set the dues. Only delegates to the SEIU International convention, who represent the members, can vote to increase the dues. Local unions can also vote to increase their dues. 


What Difference Does A Union Make?  
As a steward, it's your job to sell the benefits of union membership to unorganized workers. And it doesn't hurt to remind our own members from time to time, either. Here (in capsule form) are eight big advantages unions bring to a workplace:

Union No union
Wages, benefits, working conditions Protected by legal contract. At the whim of management.
Wages Spelled out in the contract. Secret. Negotiated individually by management.
Raises Bargained for everyone. All workers vote on the settlement. Favoritism can determine individual raises.
Discipline The union will defend you. Lots of luck. You' re on your own.
Promotions Awarded fairly according to negotiated agreement. Favoritism, the romance, blackmail, you name it.
Vacations, shifts, layoffs Based on the negotiated agreement. See above.
Problems Union will work on the job to solve them. Their way or the highway.
Give people a voice in the political arena Work for laws that protect all working people and their families. Take away or weaken laws that protect workers, i.e., health and safety, overtime, etc.


Why SEIU?

  • SEIU was founded in 1921 by a handful of immigrant janitors. Today it's the largest largest union within the AFL-CIO and is the fastest growing union in North America, with 1.8 million members.

  • SEIU headquarters is located in Washington, D.C. Members are organized in some 300 local unions throughout the continent.

  • SEIU' s 1.5 million members represent hundreds of different occupations including janitors, doctors, school workers, social workers, nurses, engineers, taxi drivers, and government workers throughout the continental United States, Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. We' re the most diverse union anywhere. 

  • Of SEIU's 1.8 million members, more than half work for federal, state, or local governments.  The hundreds of job occupations represented by SEIU are grouped into four major divisions: Healthcare, Public Employees, Building Services and Security, and Allied & Industrial. SEIU is the largest union for healthcare and building service workers. It's the second-largest union for public employees. 

  • SEIU members have contracts with 12,000 different employers. Fewer than two percent of SEIU labor agreements ever involve a strike.

  • Among the languages spoken in SEIU local unions: English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Polish, Italian, Portuguese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic, French, Japanese, Creole, and Greek. That' s just some. 

  • The SEIU International Convention held every four years is the highest governing body of the union. Delegates representing every SEIU member must approve all decisions and policies of the union, including any dues increases. 

  • Between conventions, SEIU is governed by an International president, a secretary-treasurer, 14 vice presidents, four executive vice presidents, and a 42-member executive board elected by the convention. As a result, most SEIU members have a direct voice on the SEIU executive board. 

  • SEIU local unions have more autonomy than most unions. Local union members elect their own officers, write their own constitutions and bylaws, and negotiate their own contracts. Local union members must approve any strike in accordance with their established policies and procedures. 


What are the dues used for?
Lots and lots of things.

  • Negotiating contracts  requires research analysts, negotiators, union reps, and field staffers to organize rallies, worksite actions, and press events.

  • Defending members  and  enforcing contracts  requires money for legal help as well as grievance and arbitration expenses.

  • Winning improved legislation and public services  by lobbying, research, and testifying at the local, state, and federal level.

  • New member organizing  to improve wages and benefits in competing workplaces so our own wages and benefits are not eroded or contracted-out.

  • Occupational safety and health programs.  SEIU has gained national recognition for its work on asbestos, bloodborne diseases, and other workplace hazards.

  • Education and publications  for union programs of all kinds, including newsletters, media campaigns, public relations, and opinion surveys. 

  • Strike, welfare, defense, and other worker funds.

  • Office rents, travel, supplies, and administration.

  • Support for programs  on civil and human rights, equal opportunity, senior members, and organizing.

  • Membership in the AFL-CIO and the Canadian Labour Congress as well as state and local labor federations and councils.

If you have a union at your work, print the  membership application form and bring it to your steward.

If you do not have a union at your job, find out more about how to form one by contacting a union organizer at SEIU521.