SEIU Local 1 Canada Facts
SEIU Local 1 Canada is the fastest growing union in Ontario. It has added over 8,500 new members since 2004, a 25 per cent increase in only seven years. No other union can match that rate of growth.
SEIU prides itself as an Organizing union. SEIU members want for others what they want for themselves. That means actively supporting ‘unorganized’ workers to form unions in their workplaces. SEIU’s growth is also a product of our excellent track record in negotiating better contracts for our 50,000 members.
As many as three-quarters of SEIU Local 1 Canada’s members are female. The local has advocated for regulations that fight gender discrimination and bridges the wage gap between men and women, including being a leader for pay equity legislation in Ontario.
SEIU Local 1 Canada is diverse. A large portion of our members are New Canadians who have emigrated from almost as many places as there are countries in the world, and who speak languages as diverse as Kiswahili, Punjabi and Filipino.
SEIU is a ‘member-centric’ union. All important decisions in the local are made by our members. The members elect the Local’s Executive Officers and Board Members, amend the Local’s constitution, establish bargaining priorities, and decide how much they pay in union dues.