SEIU 2015

To opt out of SEIU 2015 dues:

Enter your information into the form below and click “submit.”
On the resulting page, click the link to open your customized form. You will also receive an email with a link to your form.
Print the form. If you check the appropriate box about needing a printed version, we’ll mail you a copy of the form.
Sign and date the form.
Mail the completed form to the address at the top of the form. We highly recommend sending it via certified mail.

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2015 is the designated union for over 180,000 California’s long-term care workers.

For many years now, a private organization, SEIU 2015, has injected itself into the relationship between caregivers and their clients, and has collected money from IHSS caregivers’ pay. However, because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2014 decision in Harris v. Quinn, individual provider home care aides can now demand that SEIU 2015 cease withholding union dues/fees from their paychecks.

The court referred to the requirement for partial-public employees like IHSS care providers to pay union dues as a money-making “scheme” for the union and ruled that the mandatory dues requirement violated providers’ First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and association.

Even if you never signed a union membership card, the state and union will still automatically withhold dues from your pay until you demand in writing that the deductions stop.

There is no penalty for opting out. Your ability to serve clients and receive IHSS funding is not affected. The difference is that you receive the full amount of the funds for the services you provide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I have to do in order to get the SEIU to stop deducting dues from my IHSS checks?

Individual providers who wish to opt out of paying dues to support SEIU 2015 simply have to complete the form above and mail it to the union at the address provided. It’s a good idea to send the letter via certified mail or a similar service that provides you with proof of delivery.

How much money is SEIU taking from my IHSS funds as dues?

According to federal filings, regular members must pay 3% of their salary in dues, with a minimum rate of $186 and a maximum rate of $540 per year. On average, members paid $472 in 2020.

SEIU 2015 acknowledges that only 10% of its revenue is used for workplace representation services.

Can I still be paid to serve IHSS clients if I opt out of paying dues to SEIU 2015?

Yes. Under state law, the union contract for individual providers is binding on all providers, regardless of whether they want to be union-represented and regardless of whether they choose to pay union dues. Opting out of paying dues will in no way affect your ability to be paid by the state to work for IHSS clients.

How will my relationship with the union change if I resign my membership in SEIU 2015 and stop paying dues?

While the terms of SEIU’s contract will still apply to you and your relationship with your client and the state will remain unchanged as a nonmember, you will no longer be able to participate in internal union affairs, such as attending union meetings, participating in contract ratification votes or voting for union officers.

How does SEIU 2015 spend my dues money?

SEIU Local 2015

SEIU 2015 does not function like a traditional union. It cannot represent providers in workplace disputes or grievances because individual providers have an employer-employee relationship with their clients, not the state. The core of SEIU 2015’s representational activity involves negotiating an agreement with the County IHSS Offices or IHSS Public Authorities.

Despite its limited role, SEIU 2015 collected $89 million in dues and fees from its members in calendar year 2020, according to reports the union must file with the U.S. Dept. of Labor.

In 2020 alone:

$33.1 million went to SEIU’s national headquarters in Washington, D.C., to support its massive political, economic and social agenda. The national organization regularly supports a host of controversial organizations.
$4.2 million was spent by SEIU 2015 on political activity and lobbying.
$1.3 million was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations.
$1.8 million was spent on airfare, hotels and travel for union staff. This includes $167,000 spent on a staff retreat at a 4-star beachfront resort in Santa Barbara.
$3.1 million was spent on private attorneys and consultants.
$79,000 was spent on food and catering.
$1.8 million was spent hosting a 2-day convention at a 4-star hotel in Los Angeles.

SEIU 2015 paid 369 officers and employees in 2020, 38 of whom were paid six figures. SEIU 2015 president April Verret was paid $249,800.

Also, SEIU 2015 had accumulated $89 million in spare cash as of the end of 2020.

SEIU 2015’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.

A portion of the dues paid by SEIU 2015 members goes to support SEIU California.

SEIU California State Council

SEIU California collected $12.1 million from its members in 2020.

In 2020 alone:

$14.9 million was spent by SEIU California on political activity and lobbying.
$95,000 was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations.

SEIU California paid 34 officers and employees in 2020, 22 of whom were paid six figures. SEIU California director Steve Robinson was paid $240,000.

SEIU California’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.

Lastly, a portion of the dues paid by SEIU 2015 members also goes to support the national headquarters of SEIU.

SEIU National Headquarters

The SEIU national headquarters collected $255 million from its affiliates in 2020. In that year alone:

$60 million was spent on divisive political candidates, causes and lobbying.
$2.9 million was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations. This includes $410,000 donated to the Alliance for Global Justice, a left-wing, anti-capitalist organization that grew out of the Nicaragua Network, which supported the Communist Sandinista regime in Nicaragua.
$2.3 million was spent on airfare, hotels and travel for union staff. SEIU’s hotel expenses included a $398,000 bill from a 4-star resort in San Diego.
$26.5 million was spent on private attorneys and consultants.
$150,000 was spent on food and catering.

SEIU national headquarters paid 583 employees in 2020, 295 of whom were paid six figures. SEIU international president Mary Kay Henry was paid $297,126.

SEIU national headquarters’ most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.