Service workers union in Illinois spends big on politics, little on members, analyst says

A labor policy analyst says the Service Employees International Union of Illinois spends far more on politics than it does on representing workers.

Mailee Smith, senior director of labor policy and staff attorney at the Illinois Policy Institute, said the SEIU Illinois State Council reported to the Department of Labor that just 3% of its spending last year was on representing employees.

“Sixty-five percent of its spending was on political activities and lobbying,” Smith told The Center Square.

The SEIU Illinois State Council spent over $1.8 million in 2024. Of that, just over $57,000 was spent on representing workers, $1.2 million went to political activities and lobbying and the rest went to administration, overhead and other priorities.

Smith said the numbers highlight what is wrong with government unions in Illinois.

“What they have become are political parties, whether it’s SEIU or Chicago Teachers Union, they are using their clout to hire their own bosses. They pour money into candidates’ campaigns. They get those candidates elected, and then that’s who they sit across the bargaining table from,” Smith said.

The SEIU Illinois State Council is divided into local affiliates: SEIU Healthcare, SEIU Local 1 and SEIU Local 73.

Smith said SEIU Healthcare and SEIU Locals 1 and 73 also spend money on politics.

“While in some ways this does benefit the union or the members themselves, it does show that their focus is politics and not the basics of representing workers in contract negotiations,” Smith said. “What this reporting shows is that the union’s priorities are backwards. They’re focusing on the politics while deprioritizing their members. That’s probably why tens of thousands of workers have chosen not to be members of SEIU in Illinois.”

Smith said the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized that government unions like SEIU are inherently political.

A spokesman for SEIU did not respond to requests for comment.