Our Code of Ethics and Conflict of Interest Policy

SEIU supports the strong commitment of its leaders and staff to the highest ethical standards in all their dealings on behalf of the membership. An ethical culture is an essential part of SEIU's identity and its mission of justice for all.

Our Ethics Code

In June 2009, SEIU's International Executive Board adopted a wide range of ethics policies and practices, including the SEIU Code of Ethics and Conflict of Interest Policy (“Ethics Code”), to strengthen SEIU’s commitment to the highest ethical standards. In 2016, and again in 2024, the Board approved and adopted revisions to the Ethics Code. You can find links below to the current version of the Ethics Code.

Our Core Values

At SEIU’s 2024 Convention, convention delegates adopted a Statement of Values to include in SEIU’s Constitution and Bylaws. Those values, adopted after extensive outreach by SEIU’s Ethical Culture Committee to members and leaders throughout the union, are intended to guide decision making at all levels of our organization. That Statement of Values reads:

As we work together to fulfill our mission and realize our goals, we will be guided by our core values: equity, integrity, solidarity, justice, respect, inclusion and hope. These concepts speak to what we care most about. We hold ourselves to them as standards for all of our work, to ensure that our actions are in keeping with the values we hold most dear.

Ethics Inquiries

Each SEIU affiliate is required to appoint an Ethics Liaison to serve as a resource for questions and concerns about the Ethics Code. Please contact us if you would like the contact information for the Ethics Liaison at your affiliate. Ethics inquiries can also be directed to Jonathan Cohen, the SEIU Ethics Ombudsperson, at Ethics@SEIU.org.

Ethics Code Education

Our ethics policies require each new officer, executive board member, and staff person of SEIU and our affiliates to receive training on our Ethics Code. Such training can be accomplished using our Ethics Digital Education Tool (“EDET”). To obtain a link to the EDET, or for questions related to Ethics Code training, please contact Confidential Ethics Program Manager Tiffany Morris at tiffany.morris@seiu.org.

Ethics FAQs

Below are links to frequently asked questions (“FAQs”) for members and for officers, executive board members, and staff. FAQs for members address how to pursue an ethics complaint, and how to address general concerns regarding their local union.

FAQs for officers, executive board members, and staff address family and personal relationships, receipt of payments and gifts from members, and sitting on the board of an outside organization.

Our Ethics Review Board

In January 2024, SEIU’s International Executive Board adopted a set of rules to govern appeals from reports and recommendations of the SEIU Ethics Ombudsperson to the Ethics Review Board. Below are links to those rules.

English: Ethics Review Board Procedures

Español: Procedimientos de la Junta de Revisión Ética

Français: Procédures du comité d'éthique

This guidance is intended for general informational purposes only. The specific facts and circumstances of your situation may warrant an approach that is different from this general guidance. Therefore, you should not base a decision solely on the guidance described above, and should consult with your affiliate’s ethics liaison, the SEIU Ethics Ombudsperson, and/or union counsel prior to choosing a course of action. If you have any questions or concerns about these matters or your specific situation and would like to consult with the SEIU Ethics Ombudsperson, please contact ethics@seiu.org.