Controversy Brews over Allegations of a Stealth “Partnership Tax” by SEIU-UHW

Controversy is still brewing over SEIU-UHW’s tentative agreement with Kaiser Permanente. Membership votes to ratify the agreement are underway and will continue next week.

What’s the controversy?

As Tasty reported earlier, SEIU-UHW president Dave Regan was pushing to impose a new 25-cents-per-hour-worked “partnership tax” on SEIU-UHW’s members at Kaiser. All of the tax revenues -- approximately $26 million per year – would have helped fund a new training academy controlled by Regan, which his internal critics called a “slush fund.”

In response to workers’ criticism of the new “partnership tax,” Regan pulled a “switcheroo” on SEIU-UHW’s members, according to internal critics.

In the final version of the tentative agreement, Regan removed the partnership tax and allegedly replaced it with a stealth funding mechanism that nonetheless requires SEIU-UHW members to foot the bill. According to critics, Regan agreed to have SEIU-UHW members forgo 2% in wage increases offered by Kaiser so those funds could instead be steered into Regan’s training fund. Tasty doesn’t have access to sufficient information to independently corroborate these allegations.

See more details in the leaflet below, which comes from John Duff, a retired Kaiser worker who formerly served on SEIU-UHW’s Executive Board.

   Leaflet to SEIU-UHW Members at Kaiser on Regan's Stealth 'Partnership Tax:' Oct. 2019 by Anonymous iC9QziK on Scribd

Coalition of Kaiser Unions Reaches TA as Controversy Brews over Dave Regan’s New “Partnership Tax”

On Wednesday, the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions announced it reached a tentative agreement for a new contract with Kaiser. Details on the deal are still sketchy at this point.

Meanwhile, anger is brewing among SEIU-UHW members over Dave Regan’s effort to jam a 25-cent-per-hour tax down workers’ throats. 

Why? 

According to SEIU-UHW members, Regan is trying to fold the tax into the contract ratification vote rather than letting workers vote on the tax as a separate item. See this earlier post for more details. 

During a recent negotiating session with Kaiser, Regan reportedly attacked a member of SEIU-UHW’s Bargaining Committee, according to a retired Kaiser worker who formerly served on SEIU-UHW’s Executive Board. In a leaflet circulated among SEIU-UHW members, John Duff writes:

“At the last bargaining session, Dave Regan ended up screaming at Vallejo member, and long-time leader, Ollie Allen. What was Ollie’s crime? He had the nerve to ask for a separate vote on the 25 cent tax.”

Regan reportedly opposes a separate vote on the tax because he knows that workers would vote it down. The tax would cost each full-time SEIU-UHW member an estimated $1,020 per year.

Duff’s leaflet -- along with three others (see below) -- were circulated among Kaiser workers before SEIU-UHW reached a tentative agreement with Kaiser earlier this week. 

The leaflets refer to Regan as “Takeaway Dave Regan” and “the Donald Trump of union leaders” -- apparently due to Regan’s reported bullying of union members for requesting a separate vote on the tax. Duff says the tax will generate millions of dollars a year that will be steered into a “slush fund” controlled by Regan.

Here are the leaflets:

   Leaflets Opposing SEIU-UHW President Dave Regan's Partnership Tax: Sep. 2019 by tastysternburger on Scribd

SEIU-UHW’s Dave Regan Tries to Boost Union Dues by $40 per Month

According to internal emails, Dave Regan is pushing a plan to boost SEIU-UHW members’ monthly union dues by as much as $40 per month… to $124 a month!

“Wall Street” Dave hopes to accomplish his money grab by dramatically boosting the “cap” on members’ monthly dues.

Regan’s plan is sparking some serious rage and fury among SEIU-UHW’s members… and even among his closest allies on the union’s Executive Board! 

In one email (see below), an Executive Board member named Jon Duff, who works at Kaiser Permanente, slams Regan for using a “secretive committee” to push through the dues hike. Duff says Regan’s committee “decided to cut off any exchange of information.  Where is the transparency?”

Tasty hears that several members quit the “secretive committee” in protest when Regan rammed the proposal through the committee.

Duff says “if this plan passes, the damage created by the 40 dollar increase could destroy this union.”

Here are the emails:

From: Judy Horton/CA/KAIPERM

Date: 07/11/2013 10:13AM

Cc: VAC DI RECEPTION-KPNC-VAC, VAC DI radtechs-k, VAC DI XRAY TECHS-KPNC-VAC, VAC DI ULTRASOUND-KPNC-VAC, VAC DI TRANSCRIPTION-KPNC-CA, VAC DI RECEPTION-KPNC-VAC, VAC DI NucMed-KPNC-VAC, Vac Di MRI Staff-KPNC-VAC, VAC DI Mammo-KPNC-VAC, VAC DI FILEROOM-KPNC-VAC, VAC DI CT Staff-KPNC-VAC, Subject: Fw: $40 per month increase in dues for Kaiser and Hospital members

Thought  all the staff members should know ..........start to read from the bottom up.

Statistically speaking, it looks like if you earn over $25.00 an hour and work full time-you will cap out at the $124.00 monthly assessment by the union!!

Almost everyone in radiology is likely to be affected by this covert action. The SEIU EBoard is scheduled to decide whether a vote will be sent to all union members-the majority being Home Health Care, who are set to decrease their dues by this action....this is troublesome.

Our own stewards in Vallejo Radiology are very concerned and completely disagree with this action and are ready to do whatever is necessary to stop this potential increase-or to stop the union from bringing it to a vote, if possible.

As I hear more I will try and update-but feel free to contact your contract specialist (Jon Duff and Krystal Login) and ask who our EBoard representatives are-so we can voice our opinions to them before they take this to a vote!

Judy

----- Forwarded by Judy Horton/CA/KAIPERM on 07/11/2013 09:41 AM -----

From: jonrduff@comcast.net

To: Tonya Salcido

Cc: donna norton , laureenfowler@yahoo.com, ivoryevans@sbcglobal.net, Tinesha N Thomas/CA/KAIPERM@Kaiperm, stanlotz@yahoo.com, marrich03@aol.com, "EllaBHenderson@yahoo.com" , stepanieallen@sbcglobal.net, msturge@seiu-uhw.org, vjackson@seiu-uhw.org, mhatcher@seiu-uhw.org, hortencia armendariz , gpullman@seiu-uhw.org, "Slyles@seiu-uhw.org" , cslam@seiu-uhw.org, Earlene Person , Alisha Blinks/CA/KAIPERM@KAIPERM, Judy Horton/CA/KAIPERM@KAIPERM, Veronica Kincaid/CA/KAIPERM@Kaiperm, China china , Lee M Amari/CA/KAIPERM@Kaiperm, ronquie vickysia , cardiohara , Ollie Allen , Michael Day/CA/KAIPERM@Kaiperm, Kathy Jessen , normajaime2992

Date: 07/09/2013 11:29 PM

Subject: Re: $40 per month increase in dues for Kaiser and Hospital members

Absolutely serious. We created a committee but we did not create a "secretive" committee. The fault is not with u but leadership who decided to cut off  any exchange of information.  Where is the transparency? I do not think u had any idea how this would sell in the North. You would have learned that with open meetings. Also, u would have had members coming forward with alternatives including cutting waste from budget.

Even if this plan passes, the damage created by the 40 dollar increase could destroy this union. I was involved  years ago in the fight to prevent a huge dues increase to Kaiser and Hospital Division members. Many then were going bolt the union before paying the 2%.

If this passes, most of Vallejo radiology techs will likely become fee payers. When decert time arrives in October of 2014, NUHW will likely be welcomed in Vallejo RT and Radiology depts. These are depts that are now solid SEIU.

Jon

Rebellion inside the Regan Regime

It looks like things are spiraling downwards at SEIU-UHW. Last month, more than 40 members of SEIU-UHW’s Executive Board demanded a meeting with Dave Regan to address a deepening crisis at the union... including the lack of democracy, the failure to represent union members (or even return their phone calls), SEIU's loyalty oaths, disrespect towards members (including by SEIU's Joe Simoes), the deepening crisis in SEIU-UHW's Kaiser Division, etc.

A source gave Tasty a copy of the materials, including this email from Alisha Blinks (an Executive Board member) to other board members. (FYI- the bold and underlined text is exactly how it appeared in the original email.)

From: Alisha Blinks

Subject: Meeting with Dave Agenda

Date: Monday, December 12, 2011, 4:01 AM

Good Evening Everyone;

Below you will find the agenda for Tuesday's meeting with Dave.  We will be meeting first at the UHW office among ourselves from 7-730PM and then with Dave.  These membership specific issues should cover the North and South.  Just remember this is only the beginning of the talks to get our union back on track.  I will keep notes to report out to the South.  There will be NO AGREEMENTS MADE WITH THIS REGIME UNTIL WE ARE ALL TOGETHER AS ONE BODY!  

I WILL SEE ALL OF YOU TUESDAY

Day: Tuesday December 13 2011

Time: 7:00PM (7-730PM will be a quick briefing)

Place: UHW Office

          560 Thomas L Berkeley Way

          Oakland CA

Blinks's email also contains a two-page memo -- entitled “Crux of Complaint” -- that paints a dire picture of life under the "Regan regime." (A complete copy of the memo is here). Here's what it says:

The Kaiser Division is in crisis and below is the reasons why we cannot function with these problems any longer.  Deadlines aren’t being kept, staff is not showing up to appointments and the support for the leaders at the facilities from staff is absent from this equation. The usage of the Steward Councils to promote organizing campaigns, pushing of agendas not ratified, constant aggravation to the members requesting their loyalty; where is the Kaiser Division’s loyalty to us?  No trainings, no regional input, no report outs but only consistent training of how to organize, agitate a member or give a CRE. Members want protection, security and fairness from their employer and their union. The priorities of this leadership and the governing body are on opposite ends and it is our responsibility to correct this as a whole and it first starts with listening on the leaderships part…  

The Kaiser Division Director [Joe Simoes] and Sr. Staff members are making inappropriate comments to rank and file leaders, along with mischievous behavior that's inexcusable.  This leadership continues to act divisive and pitting members against one another.  It is disrespectful, disheartening and will no longer be tolerated.  The democracy this union scarcely holds onto is beginning to rapidly diminish.  Instead of forming a cohesive working relationship which can benefit us all we are constantly apologizing to our members for failed processes.  Moreover, calls from staff aren’t being returned, emails not responded to and it has reached the point where members and leaders are just being ignored. Our house is not in order…

This membership body has been patient, transparent and forthright in wanting to partner, however this behavior has not been reciprocated by the current leadership. This sixty plus year union is the way it is because of the knowledge of our leaders, the protection of our members and unity we share.  We are tired of being in a race to the BOTTOM!

The memo also includes an agenda for the board members' meeting with Regan that includes these complaints (b/t/w, "KDSC" refers to the Kaiser Division Steward Council):

• Violation of the Constitution/KDSC By-Laws and Policies
• Flawed Communication
• Staff Absenteeism in Kaiser
• Failure to Adhere to the Constitution and Bylaws
• Failure to Respect Member Ratifications

Wow... The documents are quite a stunning indictment of Dave Regan... especially because they're authored by insiders who've been longtime loyal supporters of Regan/SEIU. For example, the group includes people like John Duff, Tinesha Thomas, Shirley Shirlee, Donna Norton, Darnita Garry, Linda Corkill, Diane Barton, Tonya Salcido, Tamika Harris, Treasell Sanders, Jennie Edney, China Newton, etc. And the fact that so many of the union's board members are in open revolt against Regan underscores the seriousness of the problems gripping the union.

So what sorts of "agreements" are the former loyalists trying to extract from the "Regan regime?" And what maneuvers will Regan try to use to either buy off or marginalize his critics? Put on your body armor!