Although the SEIU has been one of the major unions spearheading the unionization boom, internal turmoil between union staffers and branches of the union itself have been ongoing behind the scenes. Late last year staffers at the largest SEIU local went on strike—today, SEIU headquarters's Unionized Staffers at SEIU (who comprise the SEIU's main internal union) complain of low pay and insufficient protections and are currently in troubled contract negotiations. Frustration from US@SEIU seems to have finally boiled over this week when, on Tuesday, 95% of their workers at SEIU headquarters voted in favor of authorizing a strike.
The whole scene was actually quite surreal—a union being protested by its staffers for the very things it ostensibly seeks to prevent in the workplace—and only became moreso when SEIU apparently locked its doors to the protesting US@SEIU staffers and refused to see them. At some point, it appears workers successfully presented SEIU President Mary Kay Henry with a notice of strike authorization, but that appears to be the extent of what SEIU let them do.
To varying degrees on both Tuesday and Wednesday, staffers at the headquarters also walked out in protest of the perceived bad-faith by SEIU. Presumably they will do the same again today if SEIU is uncooperative, which they have been. In spite of all of this, union support for US@SEIU has been widespread: from branches of the IWW to AFL-CIO staffers, the general consensus is against the SEIU here. Continuing to be obstinate can only harm the union's perception.