The Justice for Janitors campaign has come to symbolize the power of the poorest immigrants to take on the richest CEO's and win a fight that benefits the whole community. The campaign is the poignant story of janitors who were paid poverty wages, had no benefits and decided to take action. In Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and elsewhere, the lowest-paid janitors took to the streets and proved there is still power in protest politics, delivering victories for janitors and across the country.
In 1921, immigrant janitors from Eastern Europe, Africa, Turkey, Spain and Ireland came together in Chicago to form the Building Service Employees International Union. Today, the Service Employees International Union has come to represent some 2.2 million workers, over 25 percent of whom identify as immigrants - a constant tribute to the union's roots. From the start, SEIU has embraced its heritage as a union of immigrants and has stood on the frontline of immigrant justice.
SEIU President Mary Kay Henry Ninety years ago this month, a group of Chicago flat janitors made a decision to stand up, link arms and bargain with their employers over their wages, their working conditions and improving the lives of...
For generations, public service workers have played a critical role in the lives of every American. And for more than four decades, public service workers have united through SEIU to keep critical services and good jobs in their communities. From public school bus drivers who drive thousands of children to school safely each morning, to social workers who counsel struggling youth, home care workers who ensure that senior citizens can remain independent, and nurses that care for sick patients - SEIU members are a leading force behind building good, strong, safe communities.
SEIU's history as a healthcare union began when SEIU Local 250 (now SEIU UHW) started organizing San Francisco nurses in the 1930s. Today, SEIU is the largest healthcare union in the country with 1.2 million nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers. For the past seventy years, SEIU Healthcare members have had one top priority: quality patient care. SEIU members work hard to win fair wages, benefits, and a voice at the table to speak up for their patients, clients, and consumers. Every victory for front line healthcare workers has also been a victory for the men, women, and children they care for.