SEIU’s Verrett: Jump in Union Petitions Proof of Workers’ Demand for Unions for All

WASHINGTON - April Verrett, International President of the two million-member Service Employees International Union (SEIU) issued the following statement reacting to new data from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) showing that union petitions have doubled since 2021 and are up nearly 30% since fiscal year 2023.

"Data from the National Labor Relations Board show that worker organizing has surged to record levels, marking a new era of worker power. Coinciding with the most-pro-union administration in recent history, working people have been demanding a voice on the job through their unions. They're organizing and they're winning, and it's a major reason why we're all in for Vice President Harris and Governor Walz. The trend cuts across industries and geographies, proving that we are in a moment of transformation, where more and more people are rejecting corporate greed and realizing their power to fight for living wages, fair treatment and dignity in the workplace.

"Baristas, doctors and hospital workers, higher ed workers, nursing home workers, fast-food cooks and cashiers, autoworkers and more are fed up with the status quo that doesn't work for them and are organizing unions to win living wages and improved workplace standards. It's a powerful reminder that when we fight, we win.

"We also know we have a long way to go. It's far too difficult for countless workers across our economy to come together in a union. Millions of workers, including too many Black, Latina and AAPI women in the care workforce, are cut out of U.S. labor law entirely due to systemic racism and sexism. That's why working people are demanding Unions for All, and with it, a voice in our workplaces, communities and democracy.

"To corporate leaders and elected officials: let this data be an indication that working people are not backing down. We're rejecting the hate, hostility and harassment of union busting. And we're taking our demands to the ballot box to elect worker champions.

"And to workers who are thinking about organizing their own union: know that you are part of a growing movement. Working people are driving our economy and society forward, and your courage and solidarity are making history before our eyes."