A labor union representing classified non-teaching school employees in California through bargaining, advocacy, legal help, benefits and training.
The California School Employees Association (CSEA) is a labor union representing classified, or non-teaching, school employees in California. Founded in 1927, when custodians in Oakland organised to secure pension benefits, it conducts collective bargaining, political action, member representation and legislative advocacy on behalf of the school support workforce. The organisation states that it is the largest classified school employee union in the United States and the largest classified employee union in the AFL-CIO.
CSEA represents more than 250,000 members, a figure also cited as nearly 300,000, across 750 California school districts. It employs approximately 250 professional labour experts, supported by a headquarters in San Jose and 10 field offices throughout the state. Its work covers benefits, pensions, workplace protections and public-school funding.
Members are served through a range of programmes, including benefit services, legal help, education programmes and retirement support. The union also runs leadership training for member leaders and produces publications and tools intended to help them serve their constituencies.
