Members Charge Regan with Violations in Officer Elections aka I DON'T THINK SO.

While it seems like being SEIU-UHW President isn't really that fun of a job, SEIU’s trustees have launched their campaign for the upcoming officer elections at SEIU-UHW, and charges are already flying about election violations committed by Dave Regan and the other trustees.

And get this… the charges of illegal electioneering are coming from inside SEIU’s own team. In mid-December, UHW member Sophia Sims filed a formal complaint with SEIU President Mary Kay Henry claiming that Regan is using the union’s own resources to fund his election campaign.

For those who don’t know Sophia, SEIU recruited her to be part of its pre-trusteeship implosion campaign. Fast forward a couple of years, and it sounds like Sims’s opinion about SEIU’s DC officials has changed a bit… Sims’s take on Regan: “We don't need this lying and cheating and we don't need or want him.”

Sims says that in December the trustees held a conference of hundreds of UHW’s rank-and-file leaders at a Radisson hotel in Fresno where union staffers handed out leaflets and held meetings supporting the trustees’ slate of candidates in the upcoming election. Sims says that Regan – who soon after the trusteeship fired thousands of elected Shop Stewards when they refused to sign loyalty oaths to SEIU – has apparently dusted off a new set of loyalty oaths for union members who want to run on the trustees’ slate. Sims says that a member who expressed interest in joining the trustees’ slate during the Fresno conference was told “to fill out a form saying she will be loyal to them only.”

Sims says things only got worse: “Later that evening [Regan’s] slate gave a reception at the Fresno Convention Center, which was right across the street from where we were meeting, how convenient. Our members asked where did they get the money from to hold such an event and there was no answer. Well this is suspect and cheating also. He has used his position to have the upper hand in running in this election and I want him disqualified now. To allow him to get away with this behavior will be sending a very wrong message to a membership that is trying to heal. We don't need this lying and cheating and we don't need or want him. Our members asked question after question and he didn't have the decency to attempt to get on the stage and answer, he sent his stand in Debbie Schneider who had no answers.”

Sims concludes her email to Mary Kay Henry this way: “The remedy is to have [Regan] withdraw now, if you don't then we get the Office of Labor-Management Standards to come do an investigation. Can SEIU really afford another scandal, I DON'T THINK SO.”

And just as a bit of insurance, Sims cc’d an official from the U.S. Department of Labor on her complaint. Here’s the response from SEIU’s Michael H. Holland:

From: "Michael Holland" <hollandsfour@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2011 19:15:53 -0600
To: <sophiasims2002@yahoo.com>; 'Debbie M. Schneider'<dmschneider@seiu-uhw.org>; <dregan@seiu-uhw.org> Cc: 'Patricia Thomas'<pthomas@seiu-uhw.org>

Subject: FW: Dave Regans Presidential campaign/ 2011 UHW Election Protest #1

Dear Ms. Sims, Ms. Schneider and Mr. Regan:

I have been appointed by International President Henry as her personal representative to SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West (UHW) to serve as Election Officer, responsible for handling election-related complaints and protests in connection with the upcoming election of officers in UHW. That appointment has been confirmed by UHW Deputy Trustee Debbie Schneider.

In this connection, I acknowledge receipt of Ms. Sims’ pre-election protest of December 12, 2010 (transmitted electronically to International President Henry at 10:25 PM EST), a copy of which is attached. I have assigned the protest the number indicated above; please use this number on all communications with me concerning the protest. I will be investigating the protest, and can be reached at hollandsfour@sbcglobal.net.

As you will note, I am providing a copy of the protest to Ms. Schneider, in her capacity as Deputy Trustee, and to Mr. Regan, the subject of the protest. I am also providing the Election Committee, by way of Ms. Thomas, a copy of the protest.

I request each of you to provide me with all information relevant to the allegation contained in the protest, including the names and contact information of witnesses and persons with information concerning the allegations of the protest, and all relevant documents. Please provide me, at the electronic address noted above, the information and/or documents no later than January 17, 2011.

Very truly yours,

Michael H Holland,
UHW Election Officer
Sent from my iPad

(All those SEIU people get ipads now?! Must be nice...)