Palace Intrigue at SEIU Local 99 – Part II

Let's get back to this story about SEIU Local 99 in Los Angeles… So, why is Bill Lloyd hanging onto his job as if it’s a jackpot-winning lotto ticket? Because it is!

At Local 99, Bill Lloyd acts as ­both the Executive Director and the Treasurer of the union, according to an annual filing with the U.S. Department of Labor. And in case the signature page isn't clear enough, a footnote that's part of the filing puts it this way: "The Executive Director performs the duties of the Principal Executive Officer and Financial Director."

Lloyd's broad executive powers may help explain his sky-high salary and perks. Check this out: In 2010, Lloyd pulled down $182,092 from the Purple Palace in Washington, DC, where he serves as an SEIU International Executive Board Member along with Dave Regan.

And to sweeten the pot, Lloyd gets a second paycheck from Local 99 in California. In 2010, he pulled down an additional $38,948.

And Lloyd even got a third payment of $3,599 from the SEIU California State Council. Altogether, that’s $224,000! Now, it's not quite as much as the $300K that "Wall Street" Dave Regan pocketed in 2010. But not too shabby.

But wait! That’s not all. Tasty forgot to mention Lloyd’s fat perks funded by SEIU’s members.

Perk No. 1:  A seven-year stay at the Wilshire Grand Hotel.  Even though Lloyd has been running the Los Angeles union since 2004, SEIU officials have spent buckets of dues dollars so Lloyd can continue to live in Oakland, which is about 400 miles away. Each week, SEIU flies Lloyd back and forth between the two cities – a one-hour flight each way.

Where does Lloyd stay while in LA? The Wilshire Grand Hotel, according to staffers at Local 99. In fact, just the other night, Tasty phoned the hotel at 213-688-7777 and actually reached Lloyd in his spiffy hotel room! If readers happen to visit the hotel, perhaps you’ll catch Bill in the hotel’s “hydrotherapy pool,” Jacuzzi, 24-hour fitness center, espresso bar or one of the four international restaurants located inside the hotel. (Tasty especially likes Point Moorea, “a unique upscale high-energy bar styled after the popular Tiki bars of the 1950’s and 60’s” with an "extensive martini menu.")

Perk No. 2:  Weekly air travel for seven years. Apparently, Lloyd has accumulated so many frequent flyer miles, he could travel to the moon for free!

Perk No. 3:  Seven years of car rentals. To complement his seven-year stint at the Wilshire Grand Hotel, SEIU has reportedly spent wads of workers’ dues money to rent cars for Lloyd while he’s in Los Angeles.

Now, to be fair, it's not a life of pure glamor and excess for poor Bill. You see... his rigorous travel and hotelier schedule kinda cuts into his work hours. In fact, union staffers tell Tasty that Lloyd usually rolls into the office midway through Monday and then jets out of town early on Friday so as to miss the rush at the airport.

And just imagine the strain that Bill will endure when he no longer has daily maid service, an onsite martini bar and 24-hour room service. From what Tasty hears, Neneki Lee may have to wait a long time before she's finally able to get behind Bill's big desk at the Local 99 office!