Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Service Workers West Records
larc.ms.0389
Finding aid prepared by Frances Wratten Kaplan.
Labor Archives and Research Center
San Francisco State University
1630 Holloway Ave
San Francisco, CA, 94132-1722
(415) 405-5571
larc@sfsu.edu
2014
Title: Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Service Workers West records
Creator:
Service Employees International Union. United Service Workers West.
Collection number: larc.ms.0389
Accession number: 2014/001
Extent:
9.5 cubic feet
(6 cartons and 2 oversize boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1934-2008
Date (bulk): 1950-1970
Repository:
Labor Archives and Research Center
J. Paul Leonard Library, Room 460
San Francisco State University
1630 Holloway Ave
San Francisco, CA 94132-1722
(415) 405-5571
larc@sfsu.edu
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English.
Abstract: The collection comprises the California records of the Building Service Employees International Union (BSEIU), later known
as the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and contains the predecessor records for Local 24/7 and Local 44. The
records document the union's involvement in many local and state-wide political campaigns, elections, and BSEIU conventions.
Also included are membership materials, contracts and logbooks for the Window Cleaners Union Local 44, various union and non-union
publications, and grievance arbitration materials.
Location: Collection is available onsite.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Service Workers West Records, larc.ms.0389,
Labor Archives and Research Center, San Francisco State University.
Access to Collection
Collection is open for research. Some material is restricted to protect personal identifiable information. Access restrictions
are noted at the series level. Please contact the Director of the Labor Archives and Research Center for more information.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright has not been assigned to the Labor Archives and Research Center. All requests for permission to publish or quote
from materials must be submitted in writing to the Director of the Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf
of the Labor Archives and Research Center as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission
of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
Separated Materials
Original photographs of Major Joseph L. Alioto are filed in LARC photograph collection.
Acquisition
Collection donated by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Service Workers West in 2014; accession number
2014/001.
Processing Information
Processed by Frances Wratten Kaplan in 2014.
Arrangement
The records are arranged into the following six series: Series 1: Political and campaign materials, 1946-1995; Series 2: Membership
Materials, 1949-2008; Series 3: BSEIU Convention Materials, 1955-1968; Series 4: Publications,1934-1970, further subdivided
into Bulletins and Newsletters, and Clippings; Series 5: Photographs; and Series 6: Grievances, 1989-2008.
Organizational History
The Building Service International Employees Union (BSEIU) was founded in 1921 primarily to organize window washers and janitors.
In 1968 it renamed itself Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United
Service Workers West represents a range of service workers across California, including janitorial workers, security officers,
airport service workers, stadium and arena workers, and other property service workers.
Scope and Contents
The collection comprises the California records of the Building Service Employees International Union (BSEIU), later known
as the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and contains the predecessor records for Local 24/7 and Local 44. The
records document the union's involvement in many local and state-wide political campaigns, elections, and BSEIU conventions.
Also included are membership materials, contracts and logbooks for the Window Cleaners Union Local 44, various union and non-union
publications, and grievance arbitration materials.
The bulk of the collection comprises material produced between 1950 and 1970 when the BSEIU was under the leadership of George
Hardy, Secretary-Treasurer, Vice President, and later President of the BSEIU. Material from this period highlights the union's
involvement in civil rights through its support of organizations such as the Council on Political Education (COPE), Congress
of Racial Equality (CORE), the San Francisco Branch of the NAACP, and the Bay Area Committee for Bogalusa.
Publication materials in the collection consist of local union bulletins, newsletters, and newspaper clippings from union
and non-union publications, including:
San Francisco Labor News;
California AFL-CIO News;
AFL-CIO News;
Cascade Labor News;
Oregon Labor News;
The Los Angeles Times;
El Malcriado;
Service Union Reporter;
The Washington Service Employee;
Union News BSE; and
East Bay Labor Journal. Photographs in the collection consist primarily of Mayor Alioto.
The bulk of documents dated 1989 to 2007 record grievance cases and arbitration proceedings by SEIU Local 1877 and the labor
law firm Van Bourg, Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld (now Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld) on behalf of various union members.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Hardy, George, 1911-1990
Building Service Employees International Union.
Labor unions--Organizing--California.
Service Employees International Union.
Series 1:
Political and Campaign Material,
1946-1995
Extent:
55.0 folders
(Carton 1-Carton 3, Folders 1-9)
Scope and Contents
Series 1, Political and Campaign Materials, documents the union's involvement in many local and state-wide political campaigns
and elections, and includes contracts, logbooks, and election materials for the Window Cleaners Union Local 44. The bulk of
series 1 consists of records produced between 1950 and 1970 when the BSEIU was under the leadership of George Hardy, Secretary-Treasurer,
Vice President, and later President of the BSEIU. Material from this period highlights the union's involvement in civil rights
through its support of organizations such as the Council on Political Education (COPE), Congress of Racial Equality (CORE),
the San Francisco Branch of the NAACP, and the Bay Area Committee for Bogalusa.
Box 1, Folders 1-2
Assembly of California Legislature correspondence
1964-1969
Box 1, Folder 3
Board of Supervisors correspondence
1965
Box 1, Folders 4-5
Civil Rights correspondence and literature
1965-1968
Box 1, Folder 6
Congressman Phillip Burton correspondence
1966-1968
Box 1, Folder 7
Congressman Phillip Burton political correspondence
1964-1965
Box 1, Folder 8
Congress of United States general correspondence
1965-1967
Box 1, Folders 9-10
Governor Edmund G. Brown political correspondence
1964-1967
Box 1, Folder 11
Humphrey-Muskie campaign literature
1968-1970
Box 1, Folder 12-13
John Burton campaign material
1967
Box 1, Folder 14
Marin County Labor Council correspondence and minutes of meeting
1964-1966
Box 1, Folder 17
Mayor John F. Shelley correspondence
1964-1967
Box 1, Folder 18
William A. Newsom campaign literature
1968
Box 1, Folder 19
Pay TV literature and correspondence
1964-1965
Box 1, Folders 20-26
Political correspondence
1964-1969
Box 2, Folders 1-6
Political literature
1964-1969
Window Cleaners' Union, Local 44
Box 2, Folders 10-18
Working Agreements
1946-1969
Box 2, Folder 19-20
Election materials
1966-1975
Box 3, Folder 2
Occupational health and safety
1994-1995
Box 3, Folder 9
Labor's League for Political Education contribution stubs
1950
Series 2:
Membership Materials,
1949-2008
Extent:
9.0 folders
(Carton 3, Folders 10-18)
Scope and Contents
Series 2, Membership Materials, includes reports and surveys conducted by BSEIU's Department of Research and Education, as
well as membership applications for pension funds and insurance plans.
Box 3, Folder 10
Unemployment and disability insurance
1949-1960
Box 3, Folder 11
Membership statistics
1961-1963
Box 3, Folder 12
Summary of organizing activities among public employees
1963-1964
Box 3, Folder 13
SEIU National Pension Fund
1968
Box 3, Folder 14
Prime Flight - union cards
2007-2008
Box 3, Folder 15
Death gratuity payments to affiliated locals
1963
Box 3, Folder 16
Actuarial valuation and review of employees pension plan of BSEIU
1964
Box 3, Folder 17
Membership and Gratuity Experience report
1964
Box 3, Folder 18
Confederated Industrial Workers of America membership application
1965
Series 3:
BSEIU Convention Materials,
1955-1968
Extent:
14.0 folders
(Carton 3, Folders 19-25; Carton 4, Folders 1-7)
Scope and Contents
The bulk of Series 3, BSEIU Convention Materials, consists of records generated in the planning of the May 3, 1964 convention
in Los Angeles, and the May 6, 1968 convention in Washington D.C. Both conventions took place under the direction of George
Hardy, Secretary-Treasurer, Vice President, and later President of the BSEIU.
Box 3, Folder 19
BSEIU General Convention
1955-1964
Box 3, Folder 20
1964 International Convention- agendas, committees, invitations
1960-1964
Box 3, Folder 21
BSEIU Western Conference - education class
1966-1967
Box 3, Folder 22
BSEIU scholarship competition
1963
Box 3, Folders 23-25, Box 4, Folder 1
BSEIU 1964 convention
1964
Box 4, Folders 2-5
BSEIU 1968 convention materials
1968
Box 4, Folder 6
Chicago Flat Janitors Union, Local 1
1964
Box 4, Folder 7
BSEIU Local 189 and Local 32B
1964
Series 4:
Publications,
1934-1970
Extent:
45.0 folders
(Carton 4, Folders 8-29; Carton 5, Folders 1-23; Oversize boxes 1-2)
Arrangement
Series 4, Publications, is further divided into two subseries: 4.1: Bulletins and Newsletters, and 4.2: Clippings.
Scope and Contents
Bulletins and Newsletters consists of periodicals from various national and local union organizations, including
SEIU Leadership News,
Service Union Reporter, Local 250 (Hospitality and Institutional Workers Union, San Francisco), Local 390 (East Bay Municipal Employees Union),
and Local 399 (Service and Maintenance Employees, Los Angeles).
Clippings comprises newspaper clippings from union and non-union publications, including:
San Francisco Labor News;
California AFL-CIO News;
AFL-CIO News;
Cascade Labor News;
Oregon Labor News;
The Los Angeles Times;
El Malcriado;
Service Union Reporter;
The Washington Service Employee;
Union News BSE; and
East Bay Labor Journal.
Also included are annual reports from San Francisco's City Attorney detailing civil actions filed by or against the City and
County of San Francisco.
Subseries 4.1:
Bulletins and Newsletters,
1934-1970
Bulk, 1964-1970
Box 4, Folders 8-9
BSEIU consumer newsletter
Dollars and Sense
1965 May-November
Box 4, Folders 10-11
BSEIU Public Service News bulletin
1964 November-1965 November
Box 4, Folders 12-13
BSEIU
The Retirement Advisor monthly newsletter and correspondence
1966-1969
Box 4, Folder 14
BSEIU newsletters
1961-1964
Box 4, Folder 15
BSEIU Leadership News
1966 January-1969 December
Box 4, Folder 16
BSEIU Leadership News
1964-1965
Box 4, Folder 17
Service Employee
1965-1970
Box 4, Folder 18
Service Union Reporter
1964-1969
Box 4, Folder 19
Record newspaper mailing
Service Union Reporter
1964-1969
Box 4, Folder 20
California State Council of BSE bulletins
1965
Box 4, Folder 21
California State Council of Building Service Employees
1964
Box 4, Folder 22
Local No. 6 bulletins
1964-1966
Box 4, Folder 23
Local No. 18 bulletins
1965-1969
Box 4, Folder 24
Local No. 66A bulletins
1964-1969
Box 4, Folders 25-26
Local No. 87 bulletins
1964-1969
Box 4, Folder 27
Local 99 bulletins
1964-1969
Box 4, Folder 28-29
Local 250 bulletins
1966-1969
Box 5, Folder 1-2
Local 302 bulletins
1966-1969
Box 5, Folders 3-4
Local 390 bulletins
1964-1969
Box 5, Folders 5-7
Local 399 bulletins
1965-1969
Box 5, Folders 8-9
Local 400 bulletins
1964-1969
Box 5, Folder 10
Local 411 bulletins
1964 December-1965 October
Box 5, Folders 11
Local 434 bulletins
1965-1969
Box 5, Folder 12
Local 144 newspaper
1965 April
Box 5, Folder 13
Weekly News Letter
1965 February-August
Box 5, Folders 14-16
Miscellaneous union bulletins
1965-1969
Box 5, Folder 17
The American Federationalist
1966-1970
Box 5, Folder 18
Annual Report of the City Attorney, City and County of San Francisco
1965-1968
Box 5, Folder 19
AFL-CIO fact sheets
1964-1965
Subseries 4.2:
Clippings,
1934-1970
Box 5, Folder 21
The Washington Service Employee
1964-1969
Oversize-box 1, Oversize-box 2
Oversize-box 1
The Saturday Evening Post
1966 June 4
Series 5:
Photographs,
undated
Extent:
4.0 folders
(Carton 5, Folders 24-27)
Scope and Contents
Series 5, Photographs, primarily consists of black and white photographs of Mayor Joseph L. Alioto. Also included are photographs
and portraits of union members.
Location of Originals
Original photographs of Mayor Alioto are filed in LARC photograph collection. Box 5, Folder 26 contains duplicate prints and
photocopies made from the originals.
Box 5, Folder 27
Miscellaneous photographs
Series 6:
Grievances,
1989-2008
Physical Description:
19.0 folders
(Carton 5, Folders 28-31; Carton 6, Folders 1-15)
Scope and Contents
Series 6, Grievances, contains court documents, reports, notes, and correspondence between corporations, union officials,
and law firms involved in arbitration proceedings.
Access Restrictions
Folders restricted to protect personally identifiable information until further processing can be completed. Please contact
the Director of the Labor Archives and Research Center for more information.
Box 5, Folders 28-29
SEIU Window Cleaners Local 44 v. I.S.S.
1989-1994
Box 5, Folders 30-31
SEIU 1877 vs. Apartment Employers of San Francisco
2000-2003
Box 6, Folder 1
SEIU 1877 vs. W.S.B. & Associates
2000-2004
Box 6, Folder 2
SEIU Local 1877 vs. Able Building Maintenance Company
2004-2007
Box 6, Folder 3
Seiu Local 1877 vs. SMG/The Moscone Center
2004-2007
Box 6, Folder 4
SEIU Local 1877 vs. Township Building Service
2005-2007
Box 6, Folders 5-6
SEIU Local 1877 vs. San Francisco Housing Authority
2005-2007
Box 6, Folder 7
SEIU Local 1877 vs. Covenant Aviation Authority, LLC
2005-2008
Box 6, Folder 8
SEIU Local 1877 vs. SMG/The Moscone Center
2006
Box 6, Folder 9
SEIU Local 1877 vs. ABM-Westlake
2006-2007
Box 6, Folder 10
SEIU 1877 vs. San Francisco Housing Authority
2006-2007
Box 6, Folders 11-13
SEIU Local 1877 vs. SMG/The Moscone Center
2006-2008
Box 6, Folder 14
SEIU Local 1877 vs. Lewis & Taylor/KGO
2006-2008
Box 6, Folder 15
SEIU Local 1877 vs. Toyota Tsusho America, Inc.
2008
