Founded by a group of Seattle theater janitors, Local 6 became one of the original locals of the Service Employees Internatonal Union in 1921, and today represents more than 4,000 janitors, security officers, and allied industries workers in Washington state. 

Members of Local 6 work as Janitors, cleaning office buildings in King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Spokane counties;  and as Security Officers in downtown Seattle and Bellevue and the greater King County suburbs. Local 6 also represents Retail workers,  Elevator Operators, and Barbers in other private sectors within our region. Local 6 continues to work to improve industry standards across all property service industries.

Local 6 is part of the largest union in the country, Service Employees International Union, which represents over 2 million service workers in North America. SEIU is proud to have the most diverse membership and leadership in the Labor Movement.  About 40% of our members are immigrants, and close to 50% are women.

Janitors are STANDING UP FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM--seeking full-time jobs that provide living wages and affordable family health insurance.

Local 6 represents approximately 3,000 janitors. These workers clean office buildings in King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Spokane counties in the state of Washington. They polish floors, vacuum carpets, scrub restrooms, and empty the trash. Their work is often overlooked and unappreciated.

Local 6 represents 90% of the janitors in the Seattle area and 75% of the janitors on the Eastside. In Seattle, the janitors earn up to $14.75 per hour and receive full family medical and dental benefits, short-term disability, and a pension, fully paid for by their employer.

Security Officers are working to ensure SAFE AND SECURE BUILDINGS NOW by raising the security industry's employment and training standards.

The growth in the security area is very important for Local 6. We now represent over 1,000 security officers. These officers work mostly in downtown Seattle and Bellevue and in 2008 negotiated their first-ever master labor agreement, winning them higher wages and health care benefits. In 2009 officers in suburban King County became members of Local 6 and bargained their first contract.

Approximately 200,000 workers nationwide clean, maintain, and provide security for commercial office buidlings, co-ops, and apartment buildings--as well as public facilities like theaters, stadiums, and airports.