Service Employees International Union

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.

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.

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 »

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 »

Notable Women of SEIU

aorchard — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:27:05 -0400

Women have been a part of SEIU since its inception, when Elizabeth A. Grady was elected Trustee at the founding convention in 1921. Grady often reminded her fellow executive board members, all of whom were men, “You men must know that you cannot get very far or make any real progress if you have women workers who compete with you, unorganized and working for less wages” (Union Sisters, p. 16). Indeed, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was keenly aware of the importance of organizing women, demonstrated by correspondence found in the SEIU Historical Records. Amidst the correspondence are documents sent by AFL’s then president Sam Gompers, such as reports detailing labor’s organization of women in Europe during the 1920s, as well as questionnaires to AFL Internationals, generating data on women in industry. However, given SEIU’s initial gender integration, in part due to SEIU’s organization of flat (apartment) janitors whose wives were expected to share in the work, SEIU already recognized the importance of women in the labor movement. Indeed, while not always in the most visible of positions, women, both rank-and-file members, and those within SEIU’s leadership, have made great contributions to SEIU and the greater labor movement over the years. In honor of Women’s History Month, we take a look at some of SEIU’s more prominent female leaders. read more »

SEIU at Churchill Downs

gstrassel — Thu, 03 May 2018 10:17:45 -0400

Every first Saturday in May, sports fans take in the historic Kentucky Derby, "the most exciting two minutes in sports." The pinnacle of horse racing, the Derby takes place at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky. Most spectators focuson the horses and jockeys, but the race would be impossible without the efforts of thousands of racetrack employees read more »

SEIU's Justice for Janitors MOPSCAR Awards

gstrassel — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 10:04:13 -0500

SEIU has a knack for creative protest imagery. In 1993, SEIU members parodied the Oscars to raise awareness of Los Angeles-area janitors demonstrating for improved working conditions. In recognition of this year’s approaching Academy Awards, we will take a look back at this portion of the Justice for Janitors campaign. read more »

Introduction to the SEIU Archives and Instructions for Sending Records to the Walter P. Reuther Library

gstrassel — Tue, 17 May 2016 11:00:53 -0400

This document (attached below) serves as an introduction to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) collections at the Walter P. Reuther Library and contains instructions for SEIU staff on sending records of enduring value to the archives. The Walter P. Reuther Library is the official repository for SEIU and is open to the public for research. If you have any questions about depositing records or performing research with the archives, please contact the SEIU Archivist.

(31805) SEIU Local 535 Delegates, 1980s

aorchard — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 11:42:53 -0400

Delegates from SEIU Local 535.

(31524) SEIU Local 250 Strike, 1975

aorchard — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 09:49:04 -0400

Members of SEIU Local 250 strike, protesting against unfair labor practices.

(29808) Member Political Organizers, Immigration Rights Rally, Washington, D.C., 2001

aorchard — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:26:08 -0500

Member Political Organizers rally in front of the Capital building in Washington, D.C.

(29286) Sweeney and Sverdlove, International Jewelry Workers Union Convention and SEIU Merger, 1980

aorchard — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 09:49:14 -0400

John Sweeney, Leon Sverdlove, and other attendees pose at the International Jewelry Workers Union Convention and SEIU Merger.

(29359) George Hardy, David Sullivan, 15th General Convention, San Francisco, California, 1972

aorchard — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 14:09:41 -0500

George Hardy and David Sullivan, chatting at the 15th General Convention, 1972.

(29640) Fix Our Immigration Laws Display, 2002

aorchard — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:26:06 -0500

Boxes each featuring the message, "President Bush and Congress Fix Our Immigrations Laws Now!" are stacked in a pyramid.

(29641) Immigration, Justice For Janitors, Ashcroft Action, Washington, D.C., 2002

aorchard — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:26:06 -0500

Demonstrators hold a banner proclaiming, "Fix our immigration laws now!" during the Immigration J4J Bus Tour, part of Ashcroft Action in Washington, D.C.

(29657) Member Political Organizers, Washington, D.C., 2001

aorchard — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:26:06 -0500

Member political organizers demonstrate for immigration rights in Washington, D.C.

(29700) Three Member Political Organizers, Washington D.C., 2001

aorchard — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:26:06 -0500

Three member political organizers hold signs during a demonstration for immigrant rights in Washington, D.C.

(29704) Demonstrators, Immigration, Justice for Janitors, Washington, D.C., 2002

aorchard — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:26:06 -0500

Three demonstrators carry an American flag during the Immigration J4J Bus Tour, part of Ashcroft Action in Washington, D.C.

(29789) Pat Ford, Impact of Immigration Press Conference and Testimony, Washington, D.C., 1999

aorchard — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:26:06 -0500

Pat Ford speaks during the Impact of Immigration on Low-Wage Workers Press Conference and Testimony in Washington, D.C.

(29790) Pat Ford, Impact of Immigration Press Conference and Testimony, Washington, D.C., 1999