Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

Adair Damman Papers

aorchard — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 14:49:58 -0500

Adair Damman’s affiliation with SEIU began in 1981, and Damman worked at SEIU for a number of years, most notably as an organizer. Presently. Damman works as the Legislative Director of Local 925 in Seattle, Washington.

These records primarily document Damman’s earlier work during the 1980s and 1990s. Much of the material focuses on Local 1864 in Nevada, Local 707 and the Mendocino County Employees Association in California, Local 880 in Boston, and organizing Local 6. Predominate topics are organizing and campaigns, but training and leadership are also heavily featured. Material types include correspondence, clippings, campaign materials, training materials, and audiovisual materials such as stickers, buttons, photographs, and tapes.

SEIU Administrative Services Department Records

aorchard — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:39:20 -0400

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was founded in 1921 as a union of flat janitors. Over the years it has grown in size and scope, now comprising three divisions: healthcare, property services, and public services. During the early 1980s SEIU sought new office space and constructed a new building at 1313 L Street, Washington, D.C. The materials within the SEIU Administrative Services Department Records are primarily from Eileen McCormick, the SEIU supervisor of the new construction project, and detail the process of building this new space. Record formats include requisitions, correspondence, floor plans and blueprints, and photographs of construction and building artwork. Additionally included in the collection are some administrative records from Carole Pooling during her time as Special Assistant to the Secretary-Treasurer. These records primarily include requests from SEIU International leaders John Sweeney, Richard Cordtz, and Bob Welsh, as well as Canadian financial records (receipts and expenses).

SEIU Communications Department Records

aorchard — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 10:52:19 -0500

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was founded in 1921 as a union of flat janitors. Over the years it has grown in size and scope, and now comprises three divisions: healthcare, property services, and public services. The records of SEIU’s Communications Department document the International’s mass mailings from 1974 through 1987. Included in the collection are (predominately) monthly summaries listing all the mass mailings sent by the International (with the exceptions of June 1983-October 1983, January 1985-March 1985, and January 1986-December 1987) and copies of the individual mass mailings (with the exception of January 1974-June 1976).

These mass mailings collected by the Communications Department were generated by a variety of individuals and departments (including Research and Publications). Topics include human rights and health issues, union resolutions, pensions, politics (including COPE), women (especially 925), scholarships, legislative actions, and various topics relevant to SEIU members. Document formats found within the records include correspondence, memos, articles, newsletters, and flyers.

SEIU District 925 Records

ljones — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:22:15 -0400

Part 1 subjects include: 9to5; Working Women; working women's movement; clerical worker organizing; sex discrimination in employment; office worker health and safety; pay equity; SEIU Local 925; Classified Staff Association; Karen Nussbaum.

See Part I for the history of District 925, as well as the bulk of the organization’s records during its origin and transitions (9to5 / Working Women / District 925 / Local 925), its national and regional office files, contracts, and Karen Nussbaum’s records. Part II consists of the records of Local 925 and District 925, including correspondence, meeting minutes (particularly Executive Board Meetings), and documents on District 925’s final transition and merger into SEIU locals. Additionally there are contracts and agreements not found in Part I, as well as publications. Finally, AV and library materials, predominately photographic materials, but also VHS tapes, a jacket, and two books, make up the final group of items.

SEIU Education and Support Fund Records

aorchard — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 12:12:37 -0500

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was founded in 1921 as a union of flat
janitors. Over the years it has grown in size and scope, now comprising three divisions:
healthcare, property services, and public services. The Education and Support Fund Records
detail a variety of health care occupation apprenticeship programs and their national standards. Document formats found within the records primarily include descriptive reports and standards as well as correspondence.

SEIU Education Department Records

aorchard — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 08:51:59 -0400

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was founded in 1921 as a union of flat janitors. Over the years it has grown in size and scope, now comprising three divisions: healthcare, property services, and public services. SEIU’s Department of Education generates training materials for its members on topics including workplace training (for all three divisions), internal staff professional development, collective bargaining, organizing, and political campaigns. Document formats found within the records are primarily training guides and manuals (including facilitator training materials), as well as materials such as publications and reports utilized by the Education Department.

SEIU Executive Office Records

aorchard — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 11:55:33 -0500

In 1996 Andy Stern was elected President of SEIU and the members of Stern’s New Voices slate took office (Betty Bednarczyk, Patricia (Pat) Ford, Eliseo Medina, and Paul Policicchio). Most of the records in this collection document aspects of this group’s leadership, with the majority of records from the New Voices campaign, the Secretary-Treasurer’s Office (primarily materials relating to AFL-CIO and other organization’s conventions), the Executive Vice President’s office (predominately Pat Ford’s speeches and talking points), subject files and convention records, and audiovisual materials. Records include correspondence, reports, resolutions and amendments, speeches and talking points, photographs, posters, T-shirts, pins, VHS and audio cassettes, CDs, and DVDs.

SEIU Executive Office: David Sullivan Records

ljones — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:02:34 -0500

David Sullivan was an elevator operator in New York City and a founding member of the Service Employees International Union's Local 32B in 1934. He rapidly ascended the ranks of the local's leadership and eventually became International President. Sullivan enhanced the union's visibility and influence by moving the International headquarters from Chicago to Washington, D.C. in 1963. In this same vein, he involved the union in the AFL-CIO's Committee on Political Education, a political fund designed to help finance the campaigns of politicians friendly to organized labor. He also became a vice president of the AFL-CIO, instituted a pension plan as well as a college scholarship program for members and their children, directed the union's attention to the elderly and retired members, and developed a Civil Rights Department for SEIU. The collection records include correspondence, clippings, reports, and other materials related to local unions, joint councils, high-ranking union officials, representatives and organizers, among other subjects.

SEIU Executive Office: George Hardy Records

ljones — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:08:58 -0500

George Hardy was president of SEIU from 1971 to 1980. During his tenure, SEIU increased the number of health-care workers in the union, largely facilitated by legislation requiring health-care employers to bargain collectively with their employees under the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Board. Additionally, public employees continued to gain recognition through state legislation requiring local and state agencies to bargain with their employees. In the context of these and other developments, SEIU organized approximately 200,000 new members under Hardy's leadership.The collection contains material on local unions, joint councils and other SEIU affiliates; executive officers; representatives and organizers; the International staff; and the unsuccessful efforts to merge Local 1199 and SEIU in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

SEIU Executive Office: John Sweeney Records

ljones — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:52:45 -0500

For many, John Sweeney is known as the now former head of the AFL-CIO, a position from which he retired in 2009 after 14 years of service. For most of the previous 35 years, though, he was a member turned officer of the Service Employees International Union, having served 15 of those years as its President. The SEIU Executive Office: John Sweeney Records document his tenure during these 15 years, although portions of these records predate his tenure in that office.

The records contain files documenting the activities of SEIU local unions, joint councils and other SEIU affiliates. In addition, the files of SEIU executive board members, vice presidents, divisions, departments and staff members are also found within the collection, often within series identified in this manner. Researchers can also review records documenting the meetings, hearings, conventions and conferences Sweeney attended and at which he often spoke or testified. Records documenting SEIU's conventions from its inception in 1921 until 1992 are also found within these records. The records of the conventions reveal the major policy shifts of the union. Sweeney's interest in healthcare are also found within these records in addition to the union's external relationships with labor organizations and others.

SEIU Executive Office: Microfilm

ljones — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:05:46 -0500

The Service Employees International Union was established in 1921 and known as the Chicago-based Building Service Employees International Union until 1968. An affiliate of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), it largely organized what were then called flat janitors. Eventually, it grew to include non-professional employees working in private and public institutions employed as clerical workers, technicians, janitors and maintenance workers, health-care workers, guards, doormen, and attendants of stadiums, entertainment and recreation facilities, just to name a few. These 134 rolls of microfilm are the only extant records which document SEIU's first 34 years. The location of the paper records which were filmed to create this collection is unknown; the papers are presumed to have been destroyed.

SEIU Executive Office: William McFetridge Records

ljones — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:17:35 -0500

A nephew of William F. Quesse, SEIU's founder and first International President, William McFetridge began his career with SEIU in 1923 as a member of Chicago's Flat Janitors Local 1. In 1927 he assumed the position of SEIU Third Vice President and then ascended to the position of SEIU 1st Vice President in 1930, a position he maintained until April of 1940, when he became President of the International. The records comprising this collection chronicle McFetridge's last years as President of SEIU.

SEIU Executive Vice President's Office: Patricia Ford Records

aorchard — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 14:41:28 -0400

In 1973, Pat Ford, then a clerical worker at Alameda County Hospital, aided in the creation of Local 616 by affiliating the 4000-member association with SEIU. Ford held various leadership positions in Local 616, including president (the Local’s first African-American woman president), and Executive Director. In addition to Ford’s service to Local 616, in 1996 she was elected as SEIU Executive Vice President, and reelected in 2000. During her tenure with SEIU, Ford helped to found the Caucus of African Descent (AFRAM), lead SEIU’s government affairs program, and coordinated SEIU’s civil and human rights activism. A full biography on Patricia Ford, may be found in Ford’s oral history held at the Reuther Library.

The SEIU Executive Vice President’s Office: Patricia Ford Records contains digital transcripts of 25 speeches given by Patricia Ford during her tenure as SEIU Executive Vice President. The records particularly reveal Ford’s involvement with organizations such as CBTU, CLUW, and NAACP. Also included is one folder of photographs, primarily featuring Ford at various SEIU events.

Speech transcripts may be found here:
https://www.reuther.wayne.edu/search/node/pat+ford+speech+transcript

SEIU Healthcare Division Records

aorchard — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 11:43:46 -0500

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was founded in 1921 as a union of flat
janitors. Over the years it has grown in size and scope, now comprising three divisions:
healthcare, property services, and public services. The Healthcare Division Records primarily
detail various aspects of Hospital and Healthcare Workers Union Local 250’s trusteeship and
transition back to self-governance from 1986 through 1989. Additional subjects covered are the 1986 Healthcare Division Conference, and the 1986 Kaiser Strike. Document formats found within the records include correspondence, speeches, briefings, agenda, and clippings.

SEIU Historical Records

ljones — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:03:26 -0500

The Service Employees International Union has been in continuous existence since 1921, although its roots extend back to 1902. Originally chartered by the AFL, it became a member of the AFL-CIO when those two organizations merged in 1955. In 2005, SEIU disaffiliated from the AFL-CIO to lead a coalition of other unions to form the Change to Win Federation. In its early years, SEIU primarily organized janitors and window washers. In addition to these, it eventually organized a range of other service workers, including doormen, elevator operators, nonacademic school employees, health-care workers and public employees as well as service workers based in bowling alleys, stadiums and cemeteries, to mention just a few. Originally called the Building Service Employees International Union, the organization changed its name in 1968 to reflect a membership increasingly based in areas other than buildings. The SEIU Historical Collection comprises a variety of records documenting the union's history. Record types include correspondences, memos, reports, biographical material, obituaries, speeches, banquet and souvenir programs, arbitration decisions, meeting minutes, agreements, clippings, press releases, and reports.

SEIU International Affairs Records

aorchard — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 10:30:15 -0500

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was founded in 1921 as a union of flat janitors. Over the years it has grown in size and scope, now comprising three divisions: healthcare, property services, and public services. While most of SEIU’s members reside in the United States, the SEIU is an international union with members and affiliates in countries all over the world. The records of SEIU’s International Affairs Department document the SEIU’s relationships with companies, unions, organizations, and labor activists in other countries, as well as detail departmental operations. Document formats found within the records primarily include correspondence, meeting minutes and agenda, booklets, and reports.

SEIU International Convention Photographs

aorchard — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 15:19:54 -0500

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was founded in 1921 as a union of flat janitors. Over the years it has grown in size and scope, and now comprises three divisions: healthcare, property services, and public services. The photographs found in this collection were taken between 1947 and 2004 at SEIU International Conventions, which occur every four years (coinciding with United States presidential election years). The photographs are each panoramas depicting numerous individuals, including both union staff and officials as well as rank-and-file members.

SEIU International Jewelry Workers' Union Records

ljones — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:06:49 -0500

The IJWU was founded in the late 19th century and chartered by the AFL as the International Jewelry Workers' Union of America on September 17, 1900. Its members include those employed in the retail jewelry trade as diamond cutters, watchmakers, crystal and dial repair
professionals, optical technicians and dental assistants. In 1980, the IJWU merged with the SEIU. The collection includes materials relating to the IJWU's relationships with employers and locals, financial issues, and the merger with SEIU.

SEIU International Vice-Presidents Records

ljones — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:16:25 -0500

Although the SEIU Vice-Presidents worked for the International, they were based in their own Locals and they handled their Vice-Presidential duties in addition to their Local duties. The Vice-Presidents collection is composed of files which chronicle the involvement of certain Vice-Presidents of the International in the operation of the Locals, including David Sullivan, Thomas Shortman, George Hardy, and John J. Sweeney. The collection also contains Presidential correspondence, much from William L. McFetridge.

SEIU Local 1 Records

aorchard — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 12:44:36 -0400

As its name implies, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1 of Chicago, Illinois is SEIU’s first local. Local 1 signed its initial agreement with the Chicago Real Estate Board in 1916, seven years before William Quesse officially founded SEIU in 1921 as a union of flat janitors. For much of its history, Local 1 focused its efforts on organizing and representing building employees, particularly janitors.

The SEIU Local 1 Records document the history of Local 1 as well as three locals that were directly amalgamated into Local 1 beginning in 1989 through 1998: Local 11, Local 106, and Local 25. Also included are materials from locals that merged into those locals prior to their mergers into Local 1, the most prominent of which is Local 4 (which merged into Local 106 in 1987). Although the records span from 1913-1999, the first 30 or so years of Local 1’s history is scant. The majority of the material within the collection documents 1950-1989, covering the operations of these locals, particularly their contracts with various companies, correspondence, discussions during internal meetings, and photographs documenting a variety of events.

Specific records documenting the history of each local include governance materials such as correspondence, meeting minutes, constitutions and by-laws; agreements; subject files including leases, arbitrations, building surveys, mergers, and audits; communications and publications including form and quarterly letters sent to union members, flyers, and serials; historical documents such as clippings and local histories; and audiovisual materials, primarily encompassing photographs, negatives, and contact sheets, as well as several scrapbooks and an original charter.

SEIU Local 31-M Records

aorchard — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 14:03:27 -0400

Local 31-M’s earliest manifestation, Local 191, began in 1938 with the organization of the Michigan Unemployment Compensation Commission (MUCC), the precursor to Michigan Employment Security Commission (MESC). MUCC was the first civil service agency within Michigan to become unionized. Initially an independent local, Local 191 eventually affiliated with the State, County and Municipal Workers of America. After facing several years of difficulty, Local 191 disbanded.

Despite the dissolution of Local 191, in 1941 MUCC was again unionized, this time by AFSCME affiliate Local 31. However, in 1960, Local 31’s lack of representation within its national affiliate led to its separation from AFSCME and subsequent affiliation with SEIU. SEIU Local 31-M was officially chartered on September 8, 1960 as a public sector labor union, representing Michigan employees, particularly those in the Michigan Employment Security Commission (MESC). Local 31-M was a member of Council 35, the coalition of all SEIU locals within Michigan, as well as a member of the Central States Conference. Local 31-M continued in this fashion until its merger with Local 517-M in the 2002.

The Local 31-M Records document former (from 1984-2001) President Victoria (Vicki) Cook’s (Vicki Cook Bumbaugh) and the Local’s involvement in politics at the local, state, and national levels, member affairs, and interaction with management and Michigan state offices and departments, primarily from the mid-1970s through the Local’s amalgamation into Local 517-M in 2002. The materials include correspondence, minutes, legal documents, requests for proposals, clippings, notes, and photographic materials.

SEIU Local 32B-32J Records

ljones — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:15:25 -0500

Local 32B, located in New York, NY, was founded on April 19, 1934 and within months the young union was on strike in the garment district; within days the union won rights to a closed shop and gained a substantial number of new members. Local 32J had been charted in 1936 and was composed largely of women building service workers. The two unions merged in 1977, and the new 32B-32J had over 46,000 members. Part I of this collection is comprised entirely of correspondence from the members of the Local to Union officers, and the Union reply. The subjects include benefits, grievance and arbitration matters, requests for employment, and a large number of letters from retired members on a variety of issues.

Former Local 32B-32J President John J. Sweeney was elected SEIU International President in 1980, and was thus succeeded as President of Local 32B-32J in 1981 by Gus Bevona. It was the Bevona administration that generated the majority of the records in Part II. Part II primarily consists of video recordings (both U-matic and VHS) of union meetings, interviews, and events. Additionally included are materials on 32B-32J’s history and administrative publications, as well as a bound volume of materials related to the 1976 Apartment Building Agreement and proceedings between the union and Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations, Inc.

SEIU Local 517M Records

aorchard — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 15:24:25 -0500

Two SEIU Michigan locals, Local 517M and Local 591, created the materials found within this collection. Local 591 represented multiple school districts within the state of Michigan and in January 2005, Local 591 merged into Local 517M. Local 517M primarily represented public employees working for the state of Michigan and previously merged with Local 31M in 2002. Local 517M is still active today, and as such, this collection will likely continue to grow.

Materials in this collection include publications, constitutions and bylaws, agreements and contracts, and audiovisual materials including photographs, videocassettes, and DVDs.

SEIU Local 535 Records

aorchard — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:20:21 -0400

The formation of SEIU Local 535 began when members of the Social Workers Action Committee of #434, SEIU united with the Social Workers Standards Committee in Los Angeles, California. In 1964, these Los Angeles County social workers led a successful strike against the county, the result of which was SEIU chartering Local 535 as the social workers union. As more California public employees continued to strike and join Local 535, the union grew. Eventually Local 535 helped pass the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, the first Californian legislation on public sector collective bargaining. In 1970, Local 535 ventured into private sector organizing, representing members at non-profit organizations, with a continued focus on hospital employees, particularly nurses. In addition to representing public and hospital employees, Local 535 also represented jewelry workers after the 1981 merger of the International Jewelry Workers Union into SEIU. In the mid-2000s, Local 535 dissolved and its members amalgamated into other SEIU locals including 521, 620, 721, 1000, and 1021.

The records generated by Local 535 that comprise this collection primarily include State Executive Board minutes, Executive Director reports, committee and caucus documents, publications and newsletters, and photographs.

SEIU Local 79 Records

ljones — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:07:55 -0500

With a history spanning from 1937 to the present, Local 79 is the second oldest and longest running SEIU local in Michigan. The local organizes a range of health care employees, maintenance workers, and stadium employees, amongst others. It is based in Detroit, but has members throughout the state. The SEIU Local 79 Records comprise files of Richard Cordtz, Paul Policicchio, staff, contract negotiations, employers, organizing drives, various Local 79 units, other labor organizations, amongst other people and subjects.

SEIU Morton H. Shapiro Papers

aorchard — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:39:01 -0500

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was founded in 1921 as a union of flat janitors. Over the years it has grown in size and scope, and now comprises three divisions: healthcare, property services, and public services. Mr. Morton H. Shapiro was a rank-and-file member within SEIU. Over the years he collected an assortment of political campaign bumper stickers and posters generated by CSEA-SEIU Local 1000, which are the materials found within this collection.

SEIU Organizing Department Records

aorchard — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:50:23 -0400

The 1980s was a difficult time for American Labor. The American economy was in recession and national politics were not hospitable to organized labor. Yet, SEIU grew by 500,000 members. By 1992, SEIU reached the million-member mark. The membership achievements of SEIU can be largely credited to the efforts of its Organizing Department. The primary responsibility of the SEIU Organizing Department was to organize the unorganized. The SEIU Organizing Department sought to gain new membership for the International through targeting building service, healthcare, clerical and public sector employees. Additionally, the Organizing Department gained new SEIU members through the affiliation of formerly independent organizations and unions.

Records from this collection chronicle the expansion of SEIU through organizing campaigns and affiliations, during a period when American organized labor was contracting. The collection contains affiliation agreements, newspaper clippings, correspondence, memorandum, handwritten notes, flyers, brochures, statistics, surveys, agendas, meeting minutes, organizing plans, subsidy requests and recommendations, budgets, buttons, posters, agreements, a cassette tape, reports, expense reports, training materials, organizational charts, speeches, photographs, questionnaire, and anti-union literature. These records provide insight into the planning and strategies behind SEIU’s organizing campaigns, which led to SEIU growth.

SEIU Photographs

gstrassel — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 09:05:09 -0400

A collection of photographic prints spanning the union's long history, the SEIU Photograph Collection is the culmination of decades of photographic work produced or compiled by SEIU's international headquarters staff. The images document a wide range of individuals, organizations, events, and topics related to SEIU. The majority of these materials come from their Communications Department, who utilized the images in various types of print materials. Amateur photography by SEIU members of specific events for personal use makes up another significant portion of the collection. The dominant file type is the photographic print, though negatives, photo CD's, publications, and other formats comprise the rest of the collection.

SEIU Public Relations Records

aorchard — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:26:31 -0400

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was founded in 1921 as a union of flat janitors. Over the years it has grown in size and scope, now comprising three divisions: healthcare, property services, and public services. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, SEIU utilized the services of media consultants Abernathy and Associates for public relations and communication work. The collection consists of materials generated by Abernathy and Associates for SEIU, as well as source materials created by other entities (e.g., clippings) used for research and reference. The manuscript and audiovisual materials cover subjects including SEIU’s history and former SEIU President John Sweeney (speeches and the New Voices Slate), healthcare (including the Beverly and Kaiser campaigns), Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, organizing, Justice for Janitors, and asbestos. Document types consist of correspondence, speeches, scholarly articles and book chapters, pamphlets, flyers, reports, and clippings. Audiovisual formats found within the collection include photographs, slides, negatives, cassettes, and DVDs, the contents of which document campaigns (including publicity spots), conventions, events, and speeches.

SEIU Publications

aorchard — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 11:34:53 -0400

SEIU Publications is primarily comprised of serials created by the International, Locals, Joint Councils, and Conferences. Included in the collection are International convention proceedings dating back to the official inception of SEIU, constitutions and bylaws, and serials published at the International level. However, the bulk of the materials are serials created by SEIU Locals, Joint Councils, and Conferences, documenting member concerns and plights, as well as important events and issues of the various coverage eras.

SEIU Publications is an artificial collection, its contents pulled from other SEIU collections (processed prior to 2012) to create a single grouping of all SEIU publications. SEIU collections processed after 2012 will retain their publications, with the exception of full runs.

SEIU Research Department Historical Records

ljones — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:04:42 -0500

Subjects include: SEIU local history; wages; collective bargaining; industry surveys; benefits

SEIU Research Department Records

ljones — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:09:02 -0500

The SEIU Research Department was established in 1942 as the Research and Education Department. It was created mainly to help prepare negotiators at the bargaining table during World War II. Its main purpose was to gather data and information from the locals. The department would analyze the data, synthesize it and distribute reports throughout the organization. The department was expanded in 1945. Additional responsibilities grew to include analyzing new labor trends and organizational methods, fiscal and economic data and tracking federal budgets.

The SEIU Research Department Records, Part One and Two, largely contain reports and surveys (mostly SEIU related and largely providing stats) regarding benefits, collective bargaining agreements, contracts & data surveys, death gratuity, economic issues, industry surveys, locals, membership, scholarship competitions, research, companies with which SEIU organizes, gender, health and safety, anti-discrimination/affirmative action, policies,
laws, school employees, technology, video display terminals, organizing, cost containment, and wages.

The SEIU Research Department Records, Part Three, largely contain key contracts spanning from the early 1930s until the mid 1990s. Correspondence, reports, company profiles, surveys, employer financial records, contract votes, employee policies, clippings, newsletters, bulletins, and other material comprise the collection as well.

SEIU Retired Members Department Records

aorchard — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 11:56:48 -0500

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was founded in 1921 as a union of flat
janitors. Over the years it has grown in size and scope, now comprising three divisions:
healthcare, property services, and public services. With the number of retired SEIU members
growing, SEIU developed a series of four workshops to address the needs of this population. The creation of the Retired Members Department soon followed. The Retired Members Department Records provide insight into these initial workshops, as well as the overall department. Document formats within the records primarily include transcripts, correspondence, agenda, and handouts.

SEIU Secretary-Treasurer's Office: Constitutions and By-Laws Records

ljones — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:12:16 -0500

The Service Employees International Union was established in 1921 as the Chicago-based Building Service Employees International Union, an affiliate of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), and largely organized what were then called flat janitors. Eventually, it grew to include non-professional employees working in private and public institutions employed as clerical workers, technicians, janitors and maintenance workers, health care workers, guards, doormen, and attendants of stadiums, entertainment and recreation facilities, just to name a few. In 1968, it changed its name to reflect the expansion. The bulk of this collection is comprised of constitutions and related material.

SEIU Secretary-Treasurer's Office: International Executive Board Records

ljones — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:11:18 -0500

The International Executive Board (I. E. B.) is the final authority and the highest governing body of the union. Some of its duties include: hearing and ruling on appeals of affiliates and their members or officers, protecting the rights and privileges of its members, adopting, repealing and amending policies and procedures for the union, establishing and approving financial transactions, taking legal action to protect or otherwise advance the interests of the union, commenting on matters of national and international consequence, considering and pursuing affiliations between SEIU and other organizations or bodies, and generally guiding, managing and directing the activities and affairs of the union and its affiliates. The records of the I.E.B. reflect many of the changes of the union from 1921 until 1996, including its expansion in membership and name change. Materials include meeting minutes, reports, agenda, correspondence, notes, and other material related to the activities and concerns of the International Executive Board.

SEIU Secretary-Treasurer's Office: Richard Cordtz Records

aorchard — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 09:48:40 -0500

Richard Cordtz’s affiliation with SEIU spanned nearly 50 years, beginning in the late 1940s as a member of Local 102 while he worked at the Del Mar Racetrack, and ending in 1996 as President of the International. During his journey from member to president, Cordtz held a variety of positions within SEIU including union organizer, Local 79 President, Joint Council 35 President, Central States Conference President, and Secretary-Treasurer of the International. Cordtz was also active in the AFL-CIO serving as Vice-President of Metropolitan Detroit AFL-CIO, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Michigan AFL-CIO. Cordtz was elected to Secretary-Treasurer in 1980 and remained in this position until President John J. Sweeney resigned to assume presidency of the AFL-CIO in October 1995. Cordtz was immediately elected president to finish Sweeney’s term (through April 1996). Cordtz initially planned to run for reelection, but ceased his bid when it became clear that opponent Andy Stern held more support.

The majority of the records in this collection are from Cordtz’s time as International Secretary-Treasurer. The collection is divided into four series. Series I: Meetings, Speeches, and Conferences, contains meeting minutes and agenda, speeches, conference ephemera, and correspondence related to Cordtz’ positions as International Secretary-Treasurer and President of Local 79. Series II: Revoked Locals, contains charters, correspondence, and bonding documents from revoked, amalgamated, and disbanded locals over the course of 1940-1992. Series III: Topical Files, contains subject files mostly created during Cordtz’s tenure, relating to both his SEIU positions and his external interests. Series IV Historical Files, contains historical materials that Cordtz appears to have inherited from his predecessors. These historical SEIU records include booklets and pamphlets, but most significantly, include correspondence from the 1920s to SEIU’s first president, William Quesse, as well as correspondence related to George Hardy’s 1974 White House testimony at the Conference on Inflation, such as signed letters from President Gerald Ford.

SEIU Secretary-Treasurer's Office: Subject File Records

aorchard — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 11:48:28 -0500

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was founded in 1921 as a union of flat janitors. Over the years it has grown in size and scope, now comprising three divisions: healthcare, property services, and public services. SEIU’s Secretary-Treasurer’s Office: Subject File Records document the everyday dealings of the Secretary Treasurer’s Office, including interactions with the United States and Canadian governments, unions, federations (particularly the AFL-CIO), and internal SEIU regional offices and members. Document formats found within the records primarily include correspondence, reports, and forms.

SEIU Secretary-Treasurer’s Office: Affiliate Officers Records

ljones — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:14:29 -0500

Founded as the Building Service Employees International Union in 1921 with a core of janitors, window washers and elevator operators, the modern SEIU grew to become the largest health care union and second largest public employee union in North America by the late-1980s. Chartered affiliates operate throughout North America. This collection contains information about executive affairs, officer appointments and elections, and membership activity at the local union, joint council, and state conference levels. Many local unions and several joint councils have either merged into single organizations, or had their charters revoked during the period covered by the collection.

Beverly Takahashi Papers

pneirink — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 14:00:25 -0400

Beverly Takahashi worked as a doctoral student on their dissertation about organizing homecare workers. These records are a collection of documents about the fight for unionization of 74,000 home health-care workers in the SEIU (Service Employees International Union) between 1992-2001 in Southern California, as well as the fight and struggle between IHSS (In Home Supportive Services) and significantly disabled citizens receiving inadequate care that was promised to them. This collection includes correspondence, reports, personal statements, newsletters, draft contracts, collective bargaining agreements, and others.

Thomas Donahue Papers

slebovitz — Wed, 12 Sep 2018 15:27:40 -0400

Thomas (Tom) Reilly Donahue was an influential figure in both the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. He served as the executive assistant to David Sullivan, the first vice president of SEIU, the executive assistant to George Meany, the secretary-treasurer of AFL-CIO, and as the president of AFL-CIO.

The papers document a portion of Donahue's time as the executive assistant to David Sullivan and as the first vice-president of the Service Employees International Union, and span from 1962-1973.

Material includes some correspondence, legal cases, handwritten notes, conference material, and a published seminar featuring a paper written by Sullivan and presented by Donahue.

Ernest J. White Papers

ljones — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:09:34 -0400

A member of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 79, Ernest White worked as a postal employee arbitrator and served as member of the Comprehensive Health Planning Council of Southeastern Michigan. Mr. White’s papers reflect his work with the United Postal Service, the SEIU Local 79, and as a health advisory group member of Oakland County.

2012: The Reuther Year in Review

jruss — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 10:23:44 -0500

2012 was a big year for the Reuther. We’ve reported on most of the developments, achievements, and activities in our annual newsletter and on our blog. A few items have not enjoyed their deserved recognition, however: read more »

Archivist Spotlight: SEIU Archivist Alexandra Orchard

cwesterman — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 14:19:35 -0400

In 1992, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) selected the Walter P. Reuther Library as the official repository for its archives and records. read more »

Collection Spotlight: SEIU Photographs

gstrassel — Tue, 02 May 2017 11:54:01 -0400

The Walter P. Reuther Library is proud to announce the opening of the SEIU Photographs, a collection of images that spans the union’s proud history from 1915 to 2012. The majority of the collection originated from the Communications Department at SEIU’s international offices in Washington D.C. Most of the photos have been taken for SEIU’s various publications and informational literature (posters, pamphlets). Many of these photos capture pivotal moments in the union’s history, ranging from read more »

Digital Project Announcement: Expanded Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Galleries

aorchard — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 12:01:55 -0500

We’re pleased to announce the expanded Service Employees International Union (SEIU) image galleries. In recent weeks, over 500 photographs were digitized and are now accessible on the Reuther website. The images are organized into five galleries, two of which are legacy galleries, SEIU: The Organizing Union (a traveling exhibit created for the 2008 SEIU International Convention) and Service Employees International Union: 925 (focusing on images from SEIU District 925, whose records are housed at the Reuther). The remaining digitized photographs are organized by subject into three new image galleries: Conventions, Conferences, and Events; Demonstrating, Campaigning, and Organizing; and Service Employees at Work. Collectively, the images in these five galleries enhance the understanding of the various aspects, responsibilities, and activities of SEIU and provide a visualization of its diverse leader- and membership. read more »

In Memoriam: John Sweeney (1934-2021)

slebovitz — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 12:54:20 -0500

Former SEIU President John Sweeney passed away Monday, February 1, 2021 at the age of 86. Sweeney was well known for his union work, both as former president of the AFL-CIO (1995-2009) and as former president of the Services Employees International Union (SEIU) (1980-1995). read more »

In Memoriam: Pete Seeger, 1919-2014

cwesterman — Tue, 28 Jan 2014 08:05:44 -0500

The folksinger and activist Pete Seeger died Monday, January 27, 2014 at the age of 94, bringing to an end a career that lasted from the Great Depression to the twenty-first century. His lifelong engagement with culture and politics, and his deep commitment to the labor movement, brought him into continual contact with the rank and file of unionized American workers. In 1939, when Seeger was 20 years old, he worked in the Library of Congress Archive of American Folk Song as an assistant to the musicologist Alan Lomax, and it seems fitting that this onetime archivist is so well represented in the archives and manuscripts of the Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs. No fewer than twelve collections in the Reuther Library collections include correspondence, recordings, or other first-hand evidence of his career. read more »

Janitors, SEIU, and National Custodial Workers Recognition Day

gstrassel — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 14:24:54 -0400

October 2nd is National Custodial Workers Appreciation Day, and it’s a good time to look back at the profession that served as the foundation for the Service Employees International Union, one of the largest partners of the Walter P. Reuther Library. Originally named the Building Service Employees International Union, the union first received its charter as the union for flat janitors in America. Though SEIU has dramatically evolved over the past century, custodial workers continue to serve as one of the largest units within the union. Below are photos from Foundation of the Union: Janitors and Custodians in SEIU, a curated collection of images from the SEIU photograph collections. read more »

Meet Alexandra Orchard, New SEIU Archivist

teller — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 11:58:10 -0400

This month Alexandra Orchard joined the staff of the Reuther Library as the new SEIU archivist. Being a long-time member of the Wayne State University community and having a family history in the labor movement, Orchard is looking forward to supporting the missions of the Reuther and SEIU. read more »

Meet Louis Jones, Reuther Library Field Archivist

eclemens — Tue, 29 May 2012 11:39:40 -0400

The Walter P. Reuther Library is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Louis Jones as the new Field Archivist.

Originally from New York City, Louis received a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College and a master’s degree in Afro-American studies from Cornell University. Never content to stop learning, he earned a Master of History from the University of Delaware, while at the same time pursuing studies in archival management. More recently, Louis received a doctorate in American history from Wayne State University where his dissertation concerned the development of public sector unionism in metropolitan Detroit in the immediate post-World War II era. read more »