EXCLUSIVE: SEIU Called Out for Mistreating Own Employees

One of the most powerful unions in the state appears to have a history of not treating its own employees very well.

And in one case, possibly even leading to a death.

From the state teachers spending $40,000 a day on politics to the hotel workers union in Los Angeles advocating for a law that would directly put their own members at physical risk (forcing hotels to take homeless people) to many unions, like the Los Angeles teachers, demanding nonsensically that the police be defunded as part of their employment agreement, California unions are no strangers to pointless hypocrisy.

But in the case of a number of the “locals” of the incredibly powerful Service Employees International Union (SEIU,) that hypocrisy has been coupled with numerous instances of mistreatment of their own employees.

A new report from SEIU Exposed, a project of the Center for Union Facts, details a number of lawsuits against SEIU locals, including one recently settled lawsuit that stated quite clearly the union caused his death.

Rueben Garcia worked for SEIU Local 121RN, tragically, ironically a union for health care employees. In 2018, Garcia supported a person other than the woman who was eventually elected the local president, sparking a series of workplace retaliatory events. Within months, Garcia was diagnosed with a series of stress related ailments, including atrial fibrillation, and in May 2019, the new president’s assistant (other local workers had already complained to the national headquarters about the new president and her assistant’s creation of a toxic workplace) entered Garcia’s office, screamed at and berated him, and he died – in his office.

The union denied any wrongdoing, but entered into a settlement with Garcia’s wife earlier this year.

“They say they’re fighting for workers rights,” said Charlyce Bozello, the Center’s communications director. “The employees and members have a very different take on the image their putting out.”

The state SEIU council and each of the locals referenced in this story were contacted for comment. None responded.

The report highlights a number of other employee lawsuits.

In another suit against Local 121RN, that same new president, Rosanna Mendez, prior to her ascension from chief of staff, reportedly “created a hostile work environment for employees with the intention that they would quit in order for Mendez to replace them with her own friends and family members” was again accused of creating an intensely hostile workplace.  That suit was also settled through mediation.

Local 721 (small world true fact – the above referenced Mendez unsuccessfully sued 721 for wrongful termination before ending up at 121RN) was sued by one of its only Black higher-ups for race-related harassment – that suit is now in arbitration – and the government affairs director sued local 1000 for being subjected to sexual harassment by the union president.  That suit was also settled by the union.

In a separate case, 721 was forced to pay a $6.6 million to a former employee who had had the temerity to point out the union’s legal department was not properly handling member arbitration cases, closing many without informing said dues-paying union member.

And a year ago, the SEIU itself was accused of union busting. Employees of Local 2015 were trying to form a union of their own, only to encounter the exact kind of tactics SEIU rails against. From the story:

“According to Local 2015 organizer Alex Sanchez, SEIU management tried to intimidate workers on the picket line, becoming antagonistic. Far from showing union solidarity with its unionized staff, the SEIU apparently took union-busting a bit too literally. The SEIU’s human-resources manager had a hit-and-run charge filed against her after she was seen driving her pickup truck into Mr. Sanchez on the picket line. According to Mr. Sanchez, other vehicles driven by SEIU management have “aggressively crept” through the throng of picketers.”

“This hypocritical history shows these are only out for political power and clout and I don’t see how that is protecting and serving their members,” Bozzello said.  “This report lifts that masks right off.”

Here’s the entire report in PDF form

Here’s the website for the Center for Union Facts