Service Employees International Union

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is a major international union that represents a wide spectrum of service employees, health care workers forming the largest component of its membership. After abortive attempts at organizing in 1941, the Building Service Employees International Union (BSEIU) granted its first Canadian charter to Vancouver office cleaners in 1943 (Local 244). The Union made its appearance in Eastern Canada on July 6, 1944 when Toronto department store workers, elevator operators, and package handlers were chartered as Local 204. This local quickly became a leader in the union's Canadian expansion. The BSEIU grew rapidly throughout the next two decades and by 1970 was arguably the largest service workers' union in Canada. In 1968, the BSEIU dropped "Building" from its name and became the SEIU.