LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 24, 2024 – Hundreds of Los Angeles County SEIU 721 members rally to announce overwhelming assist for an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike authorization vote throughout a rally in entrance of the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in downtown Los Angeles on September 24, 2024. Dozens of SEIU 721 county employees shut down a Board of Supervisors assembly for a number of minutes contained in the Hall of Administration. “We have had it with LA County’s makes an attempt at union busting and we’re able to strike,” mentioned SEIU 721 President David Green, a Children’s Social Worker with the LA County Dept. of Children & Family Services for greater than twenty years. Though segments of LA County’s workforce have come near putting most not too long ago inMay of 2022, when 1000’s of nurses reached an eleventh hour deal over stronger job protections and higher compensation a full-fledged strike of SEIU 721-represented bargaining items has not taken place in a long time. This time, a ULP strike would come with nearly the entire LA County workforce and affect most providers throughout the County’s 4,751 sq. mile service space. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times through Getty Images)
Genaro Molina | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Nearly 20 years after they parted methods, two major unions introduced that they are reuniting simply days earlier than President-elect Donald Trump takes workplace once more.
The Service Employees International Union mentioned Wednesday it’s re-joining the AFL-CIO, a gaggle comprising 60 affiliated labor unions. With the addition of SEIU, its membership will develop to fifteen million employees.
The second Trump administration, which begins in lower than two weeks, is predicted to take a decidedly completely different view of labor unions in contrast with the Biden administration. The leaders of the AFL-CIO and SEIU, nevertheless, mentioned the choice to unite was not political.
“The notion that that is political could not be farther from the reality when it comes to the election outcomes,” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler mentioned in an interview.
At the identical time, the union leaders mentioned they’re ready to defend employees as Trump enters workplace. Both unions had endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris within the 2024 race, arguing that Trump’s agenda could be “devastating” and “anti-worker.”
“We would not have rose-colored glasses on concerning the threats that might be coming our manner,” SEIU International President April Verrett mentioned in an interview.
Shuler mentioned the unions will faucet into their organizing energy to answer threats with a “actually strong protection” whereas additionally happening the offensive.
“We are the, in all probability, solely establishment within the nation that has an infrastructure in each metropolis, in each state, in each office, that could be a mobilizing machine,” she mentioned. “And as they are saying, outdoors energy builds inside energy.”
About 2 million SEIU members work in hospitals, colleges, legislation enforcement and different settings. The AFL-CIO’s affiliated unions embrace the American Federation of Government Employees, the American Federation of Teachers and the United Auto Workers. Union members are employed throughout the nation at quite a lot of massive firms, together with General Motors, Disney and the U.S. Postal Service.
Shuler and Verrett mentioned conversations about becoming a member of forces had been ongoing for years.
“This is a key second, in fact, it is a sturdy sign, but it surely’s one thing that is been constructing and one thing we expect goes to actually be for the long run,” Shuler mentioned, noting that she has been working with SEIU to extend collaboration since she began her presidency in 2021.
Verrett mentioned the SEIU board gave permission in June 2023 for the union to have extra formal conversations with the AFL-CIO about becoming a member of the affiliation.
The announcement brings SEIU into “a part of the broader federation in resolution making about priorities,” mentioned Ken Jacobs, a senior coverage adviser on the UC Berkeley Labor Center. He referred to the primary Trump administration as being “extraordinarily hostile to labor.”
“I feel that is additionally a reasonably clear reflection of recognition of how vital labor unity goes to be on this subsequent 4 years, when now we have a Trump administration that we will anticipate to be hostile to the pursuits of working folks,” Jacobs mentioned.
A spokesperson for Trump didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark Wednesday night time.
Trump has promised to deliver again jobs that had gone abroad, in addition to revitalize the auto trade.
Meanwhile, Trump allies Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the co-heads of the brand new nongovernmental Department of Government Efficiency, have proposed large-scale employment modifications for presidency employees within the coming Trump administration, prompting backlash from unions. Trump has criticized the United Auto Workers, and quite a few unions endorsed Harris final 12 months.
Still, Trump’s efforts to win over union employees proved efficient in getting one main union, the Teamsters, to say no to endorse a presidential candidate after years of supporting Democrats.
