A United Labor Front: SEIU’s Strategic Move to AFL-CIO

The reaffiliation of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) marks a pivotal moment for the American labor movement. This move underscores the growing need for solidarity and strategic alignment among unions in an era of both significant challenges and considerable opportunities for organized labor.

A Unified Front in a Fragmented Landscape

Since 2005, the SEIU—and its 2 million members—has operated outside the AFL-CIO, cofounding instead the Change to Win coalition. Its return to the AFL-CIO signals a recognition that the labor movement’s strength in this moment requires unity. By joining forces, the SEIU and the AFL-CIO can better pool resources, coordinate strategies, and amplify their collective voice in advocating for workers. Although sometimes moments of crisis can lead to infighting, labor is showing us that what the Left really needs at this moment is to come together.

This realignment comes at a time when union membership in the United States remains low, hovering at around 10 percent of the workforce. Despite these numbers, public support for unions is at its highest level in decades, fueled by high-profile strikes, increased attention to economic inequality, and worker demands for better pay, benefits, and working conditions. And despite overall low union density, 2023 saw some promising shifts. Union membership increased by 139,000 workers, including 62,000 women. Notably, Black women and Latinas both saw increases in union membership in 2023. The realignment of the SEIU and the AFL-CIO will help labor fully capitalize on this momentum.

Strengthening Political Power and a Fair Democracy

A stronger, unified labor movement could have a profound impact on the political and democratic landscape. In order to make the sweeping policy reform needed in the coming years to address intersecting impacts of climate change, income inequality, unaffordable housing, and a lack of an effective social safety net, the working class needs a united voice to combat the power of corporate special interests. A united labor movement will be better positioned to advocate for pro-worker legislation such as the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act and to resist anti-worker policy initiatives at the state and federal levels. Indeed, in the press release announcing the reuniting, the unions laid out a list of shared plans to “take on union-busting and secure the right of every worker to safely join with their co-workers in unions to raise wages and improve their jobs.”

Moreover, this partnership strengthens labor’s power to ensure that worker issues remain at the forefront of the national political agenda. Research on political power found that unions are some of the only groups that help advance policy changes that are closely aligned with middle-class interests. 

A united labor movement committed to increasing worker power and union density will also be better equipped to make our democracy fairer and more representative. For instance, the 17 states with the highest union density have significantly fewer restrictive voting laws than the rest of the country. Additionally, right-to-work laws that weaken unions have been connected to lower voter turnout, decreased voter mobilization, and fewer working-class candidates serving in state legislatures and Congress.

A Catalyst for Renewal

At a time when workers are increasingly organizing and demanding better conditions, the labor movement must be prepared to meet the moment with unity, resources, and a clear vision for the future. The reunion of the SEIU and the AFL-CIO has the potential to set the stage for a new era of labor power in the United States. United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain has repeatedly called for greater alignment in union contract expiration dates and other actions in order to increase workers’ bargaining power across sectors, a concept that has been gaining momentum across the labor movement. A 15 million-member-strong AFL-CIO can advocate for all workers, ensuring that the promise of economic justice becomes a reality for its members and all workers. 

Despite the very real challenges facing the labor movement—from anti-union legislation like right-to-work laws to the ever-changing nature of modern work—for policymakers, employers, and workers alike, the current message is clear: The labor movement is united, and its collective voice is growing louder.