Overview

This page compiles publicly documented tactics the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has used during organizing campaigns, from legal pressure and misinformation to internal workplace contradictions.

 

SEIU has also been tied to strategic media manipulation, working with sympathetic journalists to publish timed, one-sided stories during active organizing drives. These tactics often appear just before contract votes or union recognition deadlines and are intended to shape public perception before employers can respond.

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One notable example is internal SEIU training materials disclosed during the Sodexo RICO lawsuit, in which union staff were instructed to use media leaks and narrative planting to pressure employers into submission.

 

We support every employee’s right to form a union. However, choices should be based on facts, not fear, media manipulation, or half-truths.

 

1. Repeated “Comprehensive Campaigns”

SEIU is known for using multi-pronged campaigns that target employers with:

• Negative PR, media leaks, and timed smear articles

• Lawsuits and regulatory filings

• Picketing at personal homes

• Targeting of executives, investors, and community members

 

These tactics are part of a repeatable playbook:

• Sodexo (2009–2011): SEIU mounted a student-driven pressure campaign and was ultimately sued under the RICO Act for extortion and blackmail tactics. SEIU settled out of court. Verify It Here

• Nova Southeastern University (2006): SEIU picketed board members’ private residences, sparking backlash from university leadership and the public. Verify It Here

• Los Angeles (2023): More than 200 SEIU protestors were arrested for blocking emergency services and city streets, creating public safety concerns. Verify It Here

• Prime Healthcare (California, 2010s): SEIU launched a negative PR campaign accusing the company of poor patient care. Prime filed a defamation suit, and SEIU dropped its campaign after legal escalation. Verify It Here

• CareOne Management (New Jersey, 2017): SEIU was found liable for defamation and ordered to pay over $1 million after orchestrating a smear campaign against the long-term care provider. Verify It Here

• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (2013–2015): SEIU was accused of pressuring employees through home visits and staging public campaigns that included misleading media tactics. Verify It Here

• Tenet Healthcare (2000s): SEIU used mailers, rallies, and misinformation to target hospitals during contentious contract disputes, eroding patient trust and staff morale. Verify It Here

 

2. Smear Campaigns & Misinformation

Rather than build consensus through respectful dialogue, SEIU often uses fear-driven public campaigns:

• Disinformation on social media

• Orchestrated protests timed with contract votes

• Internal documents from litigation (e.g., Sodexo) revealed phrases like “disobey the law,” “blackmail,” and “media leaks” as strategic tools.

 

These are not isolated strategies. They are institutionalized campaign tactics.

At Aegis, we’ve experienced this firsthand:

• SEIU launched a coordinated disinformation site, AegisLivingRecord.com, which is filled with anonymous, unverified allegations, many of which come from former employees who are no longer with the company.

• They’ve sent mass text messages with false claims timed precisely before union votes, designed to stir confusion and fear. It is a fact that Aegis Living residents and employees have received these types of text messages.

• Flyers and social media posts have been distributed using stock images and deceptive branding to suggest state investigations or resident danger. The SEIU has plastered sidewalks with this type of flyer outside of numerous Aegis buildings, so we know firsthand that this is true.

• Freedom Foundation and SEIUExposed have chronicled SEIU’s long-standing use of misinformation and pressure campaigns across multiple states.

• In Washington, a caregiver filed an unfair labor practice against SEIU 775 for allegedly sending deceptive emails during a campaign.

 

These tactics don’t foster open dialogue. They’re designed to intimidate, overwhelm, and pressure communities into compliance.

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A union should advocate through truth, not distortion.

 

3. Voices from Inside SEIU

SEIU’s public image often clashes with how its own staff describe the workplace:

• Glassdoor Reviews: National SEIU ratings hover around 2.9 to 3.2, with some locals as low as 2.3

• Common Complaints: Toxic culture, lack of transparency, poor advancement, retaliation, and burnout

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Direct Quotes from Glassdoor

“I joined because I believed in the mission. I left because the internal culture was worse than the employers we were fighting.” – Former SEIU Organizer, Glassdoor (2022)

 

“Management is hostile to dissent. If you question direction, you’re pushed out.” – SEIU Local Staffer, Anonymous Review (2023)

 

“Unrealistic expectations, zero work-life balance, constant burnout.” – Former SEIU Field Rep, Glassdoor (2021)

 

How can SEIU advocate for others externally if it can't model dignity and support internally?

 

4. Financial & Legal Consequences

SEIU's tactics have cost companies, communities, and even their own members millions of dollars in legal fees, lost productivity, and damaged reputations.

• Sodexo RICO case: SEIU was sued for using extortionate tactics during a union campaign, including blackmail, intimidation, and media smears. The union settled the case out of court in 2011, after internal documents became public, showing a deliberate campaign of disruption. Verify It Here

• CareOne Management / HealthBridge (New Jersey, 2017): SEIU was found liable in federal court for defamation and ordered to pay over $1 million in damages after orchestrating a public smear campaign against the company. Verify It Here

• $5.3M defamation verdict: In another precedent-setting case, a union was held liable for a defamation campaign against a non-unionized employer, resulting in a multimillion-dollar verdict by a federal jury. Verify It Here

• Prime Healthcare lawsuit (California, 2010s): After years of targeted attacks from SEIU, including misleading press and political lobbying, Prime sued the union for defamation. SEIU eventually dropped its campaign as the legal risk escalated. Verify It Here

• Disruptive protests: In Los Angeles and other cities, SEIU-affiliated demonstrations have blocked hospital access, shut down emergency lanes, and sparked safety concerns. In 2023 alone, more than 200 protestors were arrested during SEIU actions in Southern California. Verify It Here

 

These are not hypotheticals. They are verified, public examples of what SEIU's tactics can cost, not just financially, but in real human trust.

 

5. Know the Full Story

Union membership is a right. So is making a choice based on facts.

Before deciding:

• Ask how SEIU has behaved in other campaigns

• Read reviews from SEIU’s own employees

• Look into public court filings

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You deserve to see the whole picture, not just the one designed to pressure you.

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Want to Dig Deeper?

Explore videos, lawsuits, and employee reviews that show how SEIU operates behind the scenes.

 

Featured Resources:

1. Watch: SEIU Tactics in Action

Why it matters: Real protest footage, home picketing, and timed disruptions.
Watch Playlist:

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This page is informational and not legal advice. Unionization is a personal choice with long-term implications.

When making decisions, consult HR, legal counsel, and trusted advisors.