# Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is a Pension Fund based in Washington, United States. ## Overview - **Organization type:** Pension Fund - **Headquarters:** Washington, United States - **Region:** North America - **Address:** 1800 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036, United States - **Founded:** 1921 - **Assets under management:** Undisclosed - **Website:** seiu.org - **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/service-employee-international-union ## Regulatory record - **Reports private funds:** No ## About The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was founded in 1921 and represents approximately two million workers across healthcare, property services, and public employment. President April Verrett, elected in 2024, leads the federation from its headquarters in Washington, D.C. The union's investment activity traces back to its member-funded pension plans, aggregated through the SEIU Pension Plans Master Trust, which deploys capital with an explicit dual mandate to secure retirement returns while advancing labor standards in portfolio companies and real estate projects. SEIU's investment activity spans direct real estate, venture capital, and private equity commitments. The union has deployed capital into real estate through its Master Trust, holding commercial properties including its headquarters at 1800 Massachusetts Avenue NW and the SEIU Healthcare Minnesota Building in Saint Paul. On the venture side, the SEIU has been a limited partner in funds that back worker-aligned technology companies, often relying on general partners who accept labor peace agreements or neutrality pledges as a condition of investment. The geographic focus is overwhelmingly domestic U.S., with capital concentrated in urban markets where SEIU's membership density is highest. In January 2025, SEIU formally rejoined the AFL-CIO federation, aligning its institutional investment firepower with the broader labor movement's capital strategies. The union's investment operations are managed in-house through its pension trust and benefits funds, with total assets undisclosed. SEIU was also a founding partner in the Strategic Organizing Center, a federation of unions formerly known as Change to Win, which has its own history of using capital strategies to apply pressure on employers and private equity sponsors. The union's philanthropic affiliates, including the SEIU Education and Support Fund, operate separately from the pension trust. SEIU's structural differentiator is its willingness to make a public, adversarial use of its limited-partner position. Unlike most institutional asset owners that limit engagement to proxy voting or ESG questionnaires, SEIU has routinely used its pension capital as leverage in broader labor campaigns — conditioning real estate financing on union labor agreements and agitating for worker-friendly governance inside venture-backed portfolio companies. ## Sectors - Venture Capital - Real Estate - Healthcare Services ## People - April Verrett — International President - Rocio Saenz — International Secretary-Treasurer ## Questions ### Who runs investment decisions at SEIU? Investment oversight is managed through the SEIU Pension Plans Master Trust, with fiduciary responsibility held by a board of trustees appointed jointly by the union and contributing employers. Day-to-day management is handled by internal investment staff in Washington, D.C. The international president, April Verrett, sets the strategic direction for how capital aligns with union organizing priorities, though she does not serve as a named fiduciary on individual funds. ### How does SEIU source investment opportunities? SEIU sources deal flow through two primary channels. First, the union's in-house real estate and private equity teams identify projects that can incorporate union labor agreements or worker-friendly governance terms. Second, external fund managers who accept labor peace or neutrality commitments proactively pitch the SEIU Master Trust as a limited partner. The union's January 2025 return to the AFL-CIO expands its access to capital strategies shared among affiliated unions. ### Does SEIU participate in fund commitments or only direct deals? SEIU participates in both fund commitments and direct investments. The Master Trust commits as a limited partner to venture capital and private equity funds that meet the union's labor standards threshold. Simultaneously, the trust holds direct commercial real estate assets, including its headquarters building on Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, D.C., and a healthcare-focused building in Saint Paul, Minnesota. ### Where does the underlying capital come from? The capital pools originate from member dues and employer contributions negotiated through collective bargaining agreements across roughly two million workers. These contributions flow into multi-employer pension plans governed by Taft-Hartley trust rules, which require equal union and employer trustee representation. The SEIU Pension Plans Master Trust aggregates these plans into a centralized investment vehicle. ### What is SEIU's known posture on venture capital investments in the gig economy? SEIU has historically been an aggressive institutional critic of gig-economy business models that rely on independent contractor classification. The union has not publicly disclosed venture investments in platforms that classify workers as 1099 contractors, and has instead directed capital toward labor-friendly workforce technology funds. SEIU-backed campaigns have specifically targeted misclassification practices at companies like Uber and Lyft, making investment in that category unlikely under current leadership. ## Related profiles - [Service Corporation International](https://altss.com/profile/service-corporation-international-sci) - [Service Employees Local 32BJ, District 36 Building Operators](https://altss.com/profile/service-employees-local-32bj-district-36-building-operators) --- Last updated: 2026-08-11T02:43:31.692Z Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/service-employees-international-union-seiu Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology