SEIU Joins Forces With AFL-CIO Ahead of New Trump Era

Two prominent labor groups are joining forces in an attempt to expand union membership and protect members’ interests as they face the likelihood of a less union-friendly federal government under Donald J.Trump.The Service Employees International Union, which represents nearly two million workers in industries like home health care and janitorial services, said on Wednesday that it would become part of the A.F.L.-C.I.O., an umbrella group of more than 50 unions that represent more than 12.5 million workers.The boards of the two groups formally approved the affiliation arrangement earlier in the day.April Verrett, the service employees’ president, said in an interview that the union had begun discussing the possibility of joining the A.F.L.-C.I.O.

almost two years ago, and that discussions with the federation and its president, Liz Shuler, accelerated early last year.In a statement, the two groups said the partnership would help them push for changes to local, state and federal rules that made it easier for workers to join unions, and help them support “multiunion, multisector” campaigns to organize workers.The move suggests how forces largely aligned with the Democratic Party might try to reposition themselves to deal with the coming administration and a Republican-controlled Congress.Ms.Verrett and Ms.

Shuler said the alliance was unrelated to the result of November’s presidential election, but they acknowledged that it would help organized labor fend off potential threats from the Trump administration.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe....