Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 925 is a Washington-based local union of the SEIU, representing 17,000 education workers, as well as local government and nonprofit employees. It works to make sure education remains “priority” to the Washington State government and advocates for the expansion of social programs and public services. ^[1] It has offices in Seattle, Vancouver, Longview, Bremerton, and Bellingham. ^[2]

Activity

In 2015, the Freedom Foundation, a conservative organization, along with the National Right to Work Legal Foundation, sued Local 925 as well as the state of Washington on behalf of four family home-care providers for forcing them to pay union dues. ^[3] The Freedom Foundation canvassed SEIU members to convince them to legally opt out of their dues citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2014 ruling in Harris vs. Quinn. The efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. ^{[4] [5]}

In 2016, Local 925 was forced to pay nearly $32,000 after the state Attorney General’s office sued the union for improper self-reporting on its in-kind and cash campaign contributions. ^[6]

In August 2021, Local 925 was preparing to bargain Washington State to ensure that its public-school teachers had adequate protective equipment and could be ensured a safe and sanitary environment amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. ^[7]

Initiatives

COPE

Local 925 promotes SEIU’s political action committee, the Committee on Political Education (COPE), on its website asking for contributions to influence politics, hold politicians accountable, and to raise business taxes so that the U.S. government can provide full funding for education including college. ^[8]

embRACE

The Local has an initiative it calls embRACE, a mission to promote critical race theory-aligned diversity policies and engagement among the members of the union. It seeks to train specifically its members of diverse backgrounds in union leadership and provide them with mentorship opportunities. It hosts celebrations for Black History Month at the Northwest African American History Museum, celebrations for the history of Asian and Pacific Islander workers every June, and celebrates Dia De Los Muertos during which it makes an “ofrenda” at El Centro de la Raza to honor its deceased union leaders. ^[9]

Funding

Federal tax returns filed by Local 925 in 2019 showed a total revenue of $9,263,037, total expenses of $8,012,745, and total assets of $11,392,459. ^[10]

Leadership

Karen Hart is the president of the Local. ^[11] She serves on the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies’ Visiting Committee at the University of Washington, a school which employees many Local 925 members. ^[12]

Tricia Schroeder is the vice president of the Local. ^[13] Before joining SEIU, Schroeder worked as an organizer at Neighbor to Neighbor, a community building nonprofit, and as a consultant for various political campaigns. ^[14]