SEIU Minnesota is the Minnesota state-level affiliate of the  Service Employees International Union (SEIU), one of America’s largest, most controversial, and most politically involved labor unions. SEIU Minnesota exclusively endorses Democratic Party candidates for political office and advocates for pro-union policies within the state of Minnesota, like protection of collective bargaining and expansion of government-mandated paid leave. ^{1 2}

Activities

SEIU Minnesota is the Minnesota state-based affiliate of the  Service Employees International Union (SEIU), one of America’s largest, most controversial, and most politically involved labor unions. SEIU Minnesota coordinates legislative an electoral outreach for the SEIU locals in the state of Minnesota. ³ SEIU Minnesota is comprised of four local SEIU unions: SEIU Local 284, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, Workers United, and SEIU Local 26. ⁴

Political and Policy Advocacy

In the 2024 election, SEIU Minnesota endorsed exclusively Democratic candidates for political office, including Vice President Kamala Harris (D) for President and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) for reelection. ⁵

In 2024, SEIU Minnesota promoted a letter sent by SEIU and a coalition of unions to the White House to demand Israel commit to a cessation of its military operations against Hamas after the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. ⁶

In 2022, SEIU Minnesota claimed credit for electing pro-union majorities in the Minnesota state legislature and for re-electing Governor Tim Walz (D) and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan (D). The union also claimed credit for expanding the number of government workers covered by collective bargaining, expanding paid training for workers, reducing the use of non-compete clauses, and increasing paid family leave. ⁷

In 2021, SEIU Minnesota advocated for rent control policies in both Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. ⁸

People

The executive director of SEIU Minnesota is Brian Elliott. Elliott was previously the district director for then-U.S. Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN), who is as of 2024 the attorney general of Minnesota. Ellison has been criticized for his past support of the extremist Nation of Islam and was the former co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. ^{9 10}

Elliott was also the Minnesota political director and associate national political director for Clean Water Action, a left-of-center environmentalist organization which focuses on increasing the regulation of waterways in the United States. Elliott has been the executive director of SEIU Minnesota since 2011. ^{11 12}

Partner Organizations

SEIU Minnesota a partner of We Choose Us, a left-of-center coalition of unions, activist groups, and grassroots organizations devoted to “fighting to protect and expand multiracial democracy in Minnesota.” ¹³

According to tax flings, in 2022 SEIU Minnesota gave $111,318 to Better Together MN, a coalition of labor unions and activist organizations in Minnesota that blames problems in the state on “the biggest corporations and richest 1%” who in turn blame “Black people, new immigrants, and those struggling to make ends meet” for society’s problems. Other members of We Make Minnesota are AFSCME Council 5, AFSCME Council 64, Faith in Minnesota, Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, Minnesota Nurses Association, and SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa. That same year SEIU Minnesota also gave $21,000 to CTUL, or Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha, a Minnesota-based organization devoted to “racial, gender and economic justice.” ^{14 15 16}

SEIU Minnesota is also associated with the SEIU Minnesota State Council Political Fund, which it lists as a “related tax-exempt organization” on its tax filings. ¹⁷

1. “SEIU MN.” SEIU MN. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://www.seiumn.org/; “SEIU 2024 Endorsements.” SEIU MN. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://www.seiumn.org/endorsements/seiu-2024-endorsements.
2. “Legislative Wins.” SEIU MN. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://www.seiumn.org/2023-legislative-accomplishments.
3. “SEIU MN.” SEIU MN. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://www.seiumn.org/.
4. “Minnesota SEIU Locals.” SEIU MN. Accessed July 25, 2024.  https://www.seiumn.org/mn-seiu-locals.
5. “SEIU 2024 Endorsements.” SEIU MN. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://www.seiumn.org/endorsements/seiu-2024-endorsements.
6.  @SEIUMN. Tweet on July 23, 2024. Twitter/X. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://twitter.com/SEIU/status/1815845364924068134.
7. “Legislative Wins.” SEIU MN. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://www.seiumn.org/2023-legislative-accomplishments.
8. “Vote YES on Rent Stabilization Amendments in Minneapolis and St. Paul.” SEIU MN. October 13, 2021. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://www.seiumn.org/endorsements/vote-yes-on-rent-stabilization-amendments.
9. Janssen, Kim. “Nation of Islam Calls Former Ally Keith Ellison a ‘Hypocrite’.Chicago Tribune, August 22, 2019. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-ellison-farrakhan-final-call-1208-chicago-inc-20161207-story.html.
10. Brodey, Sam. “How Keith Ellison Made the Congressional Progressive Caucus into a Political Force That Matters.” MinnPost. July 21, 2015. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://www.minnpost.com/dc-dispatches/2015/07/how-keith-ellison-made-congressional-progressive-caucus-political-force-matter/.
11. “Contact.” SEIU MN. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://www.seiumn.org/contact.
12. Kimball, Joe. “Ellison aid Brian Elliott named state SEIU director.” MinnPost. March 29, 2011. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://www.minnpost.com/political-agenda/2011/03/ellison-aide-brian-elliott-named-state-seiu-director/.
13. “Partners.” We Choose Use. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://www.wechooseusmn.com/partners.
14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). SEIU Minnesota State Council. 2022.
15. “We Make Minnesota.” We Make Minnesota. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://wemakemn.com/.
16. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990) Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha. 2021.
17. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). SEIU Minnesota State Council. 2022.