Failing Its Membership

The SEIU has been criticized for using ineffective tactics and failed to deliver a safe workplace for state government workers in California.

Ineffective Tactics

The SEIU has been accused by its members of using ineffective tactics that do not benefit the union’s membership.

• In 2023, the State Employees Association of North Carolina decided to disaffiliate from the SEIU, partly because they disagreed with the union’s tactics and said that they were ineffective.
• In 2020, the SEIU 1000 agreed to two furlough days per month for its California membership, a reduction in salary that equates to over 9% a year. The agreement also delayed a general salary increase of 2.5% that had been scheduled for July 1.

Failure to Ensure Safe Workplace

In 2019, the SEIU failed to ensure its members at a Vallejo, CA, office building were working in safe conditions.

• In 2019, the Vallejo, CA, Economic Development Department Office – staffed by SEIU members – was allegedly rat infested and unsafe for workers.
• Employees at the office were forced to contact ABC 7 News to cover the issue and claimed the conditions of the building were not only harming their health but also hurting the public they serve.

Failure To Pay Striking Members A Living Wage

There have been multiple instances where the SEIU has admitted to paying striking membership far below a living wage while they are on strike despite the union having over $400 million in assets.

• In 2019, an SEIU-UHW document revealed that striking workers would only be paid $200 dollars a week and only if the strike lasted longer than one week. This amounts to just $5.00 an hour for a forty-hour work week, far below what can be lived off of for workers.
• In 2019, the SEIU Local 503 claimed to pay striking workers $400 a week if the strike lasted longer than a week. This amounts to just $10.00 an hour for a forty-hour work week, still far-below a living wage.
• In the 2000’s, one SEIU member claimed she was only paid $10.00 a day after going on strike, she would go on to lose her job and her apartment.