Justice for Janitors: The Diffusion of an Organizing Model

Labor movement scholars and activists generally agree that the Service Employees International Union’s (SEIU) ‘Justice for Janitors’ (JFJ) campaign is an effective union model whose widespread implementation would help revitalize the labor movement. Unlike traditional union models, the JFJ model prioritizes organizing, and utilizes intelligence-gathering, unconventional legal tactics, coalition-building, and rank and file mobilization. However, there has been little systematic analysis of the model’s diffusion to show whether the model remains effective in different contexts. In my research I map the nation-wide diffusion of the JFJ model from building services locals, where it originated, to both other building services locals and health care locals. I examine the various mechanisms through which the model is diffused using media accounts, internal SEIU documents, government records and union organizers’ career pathways. My case studies of a New York City building services local and a health care local include interviews with union organizers and further illuminate the dynamics of diffusion to different contexts. I discuss the variables that result in the partial diffusion of the model and identify changes to the model resulting from the process of diffusion in order to begin evaluating whether the model can be a useful tool for the revitalization of the labor movement. My research also adds to the discussion on diffusion by providing a broad comparative analysis of diffusion across populations.