Microsoft’s branch office in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood was surrounded by a large group from the Service Employees International Union Local 775 this afternoon, protesting the company’s tax practices and the resulting impact on the state budget and health services. 

SEIU 775NW, which represents home healthcare workers, nursing-home employees and others.  The protest follows a new round of criticism of Microsoft’s practice of routing its software licensing revenue through an office in Nevada to avoid paying millions in royalty taxes in its home state, an issue that some in the community have lobbied the company and legislators about for years. 

We’ve contacted the SEIU for more information, and we’ve asked Microsoft for comment.  The South Lake Union satellite facility is not a major office for Microsoft, compared to its presence in Redmond.  It’s not clear why the workers didn’t protest at Microsoft headquarters.