There are many service related unions so we have included a highly abbreviated history of only some of the federal, state, and local government employee unions as well as those in the service sectors. There are organizations that have not been included, but we have tried to include some of the larger ones and provide dates and history, as well as some of the names of the most notable people or events as searching on those can provide another way to research the union and its activities. Of note, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union has a shared history with those unions covered on the Agricultural & Allied Unions page of this guide, so it may be useful to refer to those resources.

Service unions

• Service Employees International Union (SEIU): This union was formed in 1921 as Building Service Employees International Union (BSEIU) with most members being janitors, elevator operators, and window washers. Today, it also represents healthcare workers, childcare workers, fast food workers, higher education workers, and security officers. It renamed itself in 1981 and grew in size through mergers that included: the International Jewelry Workers' Union and the Drug, Hospital, and Health Care Employees Union. Noted leaders are William McFetridge, John Sweeney a former head of the AFL-CIO, and the first women elected to lead the SEIU, Mary Kay Henry. Noted union actions include Justice for Janitors.
• National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW): This organization was formed in 2009 by former members of United Healthcare Workers-West.
• National Nurses United (NNU): This organization was formed in 2009 in California but has affiliates in other states and members across the country.
• United Office and Professional Workers of America (UOPWA): This union, not to be confused with the UPWA, was active from 1937–1950, but left the CIO. It merged with the Food, Tobacco and Agricultural Workers Union and the Distributive Workers Union to create the Distributive, Processing, and Office Workers of America (DPOWA). In 1954, DPOWA's merged with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. Eventually, several large locals disaffiliated from that international union and formed the National Council of Distributive Workers of America while many of the Distributive Workers joined the UAW.

Government worker unions

• American Postal Workers Union (APWU): This union traces its history back to unions formed in the 1890s including the United National Association of Post Office Clerks (UNAPOC), but it was founded in 1971 with the merger of United Federation of Postal Clerks, the National Postal Union, the National Association of Post Office and General Service Maintenance Employees, the National Federation of Post Office Motor Vehicle Employees, and the National Association of Special Delivery Messengers. It currently represents USPS employees and retirees, as well as many private-sector mail workers.
• National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC): The union was formed in 1889. By 1942, the National Federation of Rural Letter Carriers which had been founded in 1920, merged into NALC. One of the most notable events occurred was a "wildcat" strike in March 1970—the 8-day U.S. postal strike of 1970 by federal postal workers.
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT): The AFT was founded in 1916 and represents teachers. It hasn't had many presidents, but Albert Shanker was one of the longest serving president. Other longstanding presidents are Edward J. McElroy and Randi Weingarten.
• American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME): The union was formed out of the Wisconsin State Employees Association (WSEA) in 1932, and is the largest union representing public employees in the United States. Presidents include: Arnold Zander, Jerry Wurf, Gerald McEntee, and Lee Saunders.
• United Public Workers of America (UPWA): The union represented some federal, state, county, and local government employees from 1946–1952.
• National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA): This union held their founding meeting in September of 1986, and represents air traffic controllers, engineers, and other aviation safety-related professionals. It was certified in 1987, a year after the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (1968-1981) was decertified as a result of their strike. PATCO had declared a strike of air traffic controllers on August 3, 1981, but the strike was declared illegal, and two days later all personnel who disobeyed the back to work order were fired and barred from working for the federal government. NATCA has no affiliation with PATCO.
• Fraternal Order of Police (FOP): The FOP was founded in Pittsburgh in 1915 as a local fraternal order. It went national a few years later and now represents thousands of police around the United States.
• International Association of Firefighters (IAFF): This organizations represents thousands of firefighters in the United States and Canada and was formed in 1918.