Although it represents healthcare workers, SEIU-UHW’s controversial leadership and brutal internal culture suggest it’s anything but a healthy workplace.
Is SEIU-UHW California’s most abusive union? Read our in-depth report.
Leadership
High-ranking officials at SEIU-UHW, including union President Dave Regan, have been accused of fostering a toxic work environment at the union. Several former employees have claimed to be the victim of harassment or a witness to inappropriate behavior.
Dave Regan
Regan is the current president of SEIU-UHW. He was accused of sexual harassment in a lawsuit brought by SEIU employee Mindy Sturge. The lawsuit alleged that he not only engaged in sexual misconduct but that he also “tolerated a frat boy culture where sexual misconduct ran rampant.”
More
Regan faced allegations that he would only promote women who engaged in sexual relationships with him.
In legal documents, Sturge said she was told if she wanted to get ahead at UHW, she should “hang out and drink with UHW President Dave Regan and the upper management around him.” She also detailed several instances where she believed Regan was making inappropriate sexual comments or gestures.
SEIU allowed Regan to use union funds to defend himself.
SEIU-UHW denied these charges and in 2020, the union settled the lawsuit.
Stan Lyles
Lyles, a top lieutenant of Dave Regan’s, was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple employees. One employee accused Lyles of sending her sexually explicit pictures and making sexually suggestive comments and gestures toward her.
More
Mindy Sturge, the employee who filed the lawsuit against SEIU-UHW, also said Lyles made several advances toward her. She also said she frequently heard Lyles make “inappropriate or offensive” comments about other female employees. She claimed, “all of Mr. Lyles’ conduct made me feel uncomfortable.”
Another employee accused Lyles of sexual misconduct, including sexual assault.
SEIU-UHW denied these allegations and the lawsuit accusing Lyles of harassment was settled.
Chokri Bensaid
Bensaid is the head of SEIU-UHW Hospital Division. He has been accused of sexually harassing women under his command. In legal documents, SEIU-UHW employee Mindy Sturge said that she finally gave in to Bensaid’s advances and had a brief personal relationship with him.
More
At the time, Bensaid, who had previously been investigated for sexual misconduct, was advised by SEIU not to have any personal relationships of any type with his subordinates.
Sturge claimed to break things off quickly with Bensaid, but claimed he continued to pursue her for months despite her many attempts to turn him away.
Bensaid was accused of sexual harassment in two more cases.
A long-time SEIU organizer Greg Price claimed that he heard Bensaid yell at a subordinate after she refused his sexual advances after a night of drinking at a union event.
On another occasion, Marcus Hatcher, who left SEIU-UHW after being accused of sexual assault, said in an affidavit that he and Bensaid texted about what sexual acts that they would like to perform with SEIU-UHW Executive Board member Georgette Bradford.
SEIU-UHW denied these allegations and the lawsuit accusing Bensaid of harassment was settled.
Alleged Retaliation Against Whistleblowers
Two of the former SEIU staffers who gave key testimony and evidence about sexual misconduct as part of the lawsuit against SEIU-UHW appear to have faced retaliation for speaking out.
One of the witnesses, Njoki Woods, was fired after making her statements and was sued by SEIU-UHW for defamation.
After filing a sexual misconduct lawsuit, Mindy Sturge claimed she received threatening calls and text messages.
Sturge claimed that she tried to notify the international union about the sexual misconduct and that her complaints were ignored. She sent a letter in November of 2018 to SEIU President Mary Kay Henry and SEIU Vice President Leslie Frane, inviting them to come to California and see the widespread sexual misconduct and retaliation in SEIU-UHW.
“The union’s mission is to provide a fair and dignified workplace for its members, a majority of whom are women. This should be the case for staff, too,” Sturge wrote to Mary Kay Henry. “But staff members are afraid to speak out, and prior complaints about some of the men who created this hostile environment have gone nowhere.”
In a letter sent back to Sturge from SEIU General Counsel Nicole Berner in November of 2018, the national union declined to meet with Sturge, saying that the matter was best left to be investigated by the SEIU-UHW – the very union whose President she was suing for sexual misconduct.
Reviews
Current and former employees of SEIU-UHW have written dozens of reviews criticizing the union for having a brutal work environment. Read them for yourself. Featured reviews were lightly edited for clarity.
Notable SEIU-UHW spending
Spending data was collected from available Service Employees International Union LM filings with the Office of Labor Management Standards (OLMS), and then categorized in one of seven buckets detailed below:
$$5,134,974
Advocacy
$$7,946,600
Hotels and Events
$$2,373,374
Lawyers
$$623,305
Merchandise
$$15,716,749
Public Relations
$$1,768,051
Restaurants
$$2,041,710
Travel
Search SEIU-UHW Spending
All categorized spending is listed below. You can search for specific line items, or sort by highest to lowest spending. The descriptions for each line item are the union’s, not ours. For a full accounting of how the union is spending members’ dues money, you can find individual financial filings with the federal government here.
| Vendor | Description | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kimball Petition Management | Political Activities | 8196886 |
| Winning Mark, LLC | Representational Activities | 2936998 |
| The Fairness Project | Contributions, Gifts And Grants | 2750000 |
| Jacobson & Zilber Strategies LLC | Representational Activities | 1242055 |
| Southwest Airlines | Representational Activities | 1227421 |
| Homewood Suites San Diego Circle/seaworld Area | Representational Activities | 1116020 |
| Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld | Representational Activities | 1022607 |
| Panera Bread – Corp | Representational Activities | 861312 |
| Feinberg, Jackson, Worthman & Wasow Llp | Representational Activities | 764656 |
| Hyatt Regency Lax | Union Administration | 628881 |
| Arizonans Fed Up With Failing Healthcare | Political Activities | 600000 |
| Targeted Platform Media (tpm) LLC | Representational Activities | 588400 |
| Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina | Representational Activities | 572409 |
| Oakland Marriott City Center | Representational Activities | 571732 |
| 617 Media Group | Representational Activities | 532930 |
| Hilton San Diego Bayfront | Representational Activities | 515963 |
| Breakthrough Campaigns | Representational Activities | 457621 |
| Breakthrough Campaigns | Political Activities | 448843 |
| California Democratic Party | Political Activities | 428610 |
| N. G. Slater Corp | Representational Activities | 392596 |
| Kaufman Legal Group | Political Activities | 371759 |
| Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suite Los Angeles | Representational Activities | 297614 |
| Marriott Burbank Airport | Representational Activities | 267714 |
| Noah’S Bagels | Representational Activities | 264230 |
| Jacobson & Zilber Strategies LLC | Representational Activities | 250332 |
| Yes On Prop 1 – Gov. Newsom’S Bmc | Political Activities | 250000 |
| Sadler Strategic Media, Inc. | Representational Activities | 249509 |
| Enterprise Rent-a-car | Representational Activities | 190402 |
| Metro Media Productions, Inc | Representational Activities | 179067 |
| Kona Kai Resort | Representational Activities | 173160 |
| Courtyard Marriott Sacramento Cal Expo | Representational Activities | 172436 |
| El Pollo Loco – Wks Restaurant Group | Representational Activities | 171094 |
| Click Strategies | Political Activities | 165897 |
| Pacific Printing (sj) | Representational Activities | 165394 |
| Hilton Sacramento Arden West | Representational Activities | 160502 |
| Promo Shop, Inc. | Representational Activities | 156533 |
| San Diego County Democratic Party | Political Activities | 150000 |
| Metro Media Productions, Inc | Union Administration | 149757 |
| Vip Luxury Restrooms | Representational Activities | 146260 |
| Doubletree Sacramento | Representational Activities | 145459 |
| Residence Inn By Marriott San Diego Downtown | Representational Activities | 138372 |
| Hyatt Regency Sf | Representational Activities | 130077 |
| Intercontinental Hotel Los Angeles | Representational Activities | 128801 |
| Mosaic Global Transportation – San Jose | Representational Activities | 125734 |
| Hilton Garden Inn Sacramento Airport Natomas | Representational Activities | 123036 |
| Hyatt Regency Lax | Representational Activities | 122035 |
| Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown Arena | Representational Activities | 121459 |
| Barton Mendez Soto Pllc | Political Activities | 109409 |
| Hampton Inn – Sandiego/ Mission Valley | Representational Activities | 108481 |
| Southwest Airlines | Political Activities | 103803 |
| Ez Cater, Inc | Representational Activities | 101291 |
| Southwest Airlines | Union Administration | 99995 |
| Hilton Hotels-costa Mesa | Representational Activities | 97619 |
| Sheraton Gateway-la, Ca | Representational Activities | 97554 |
| Promo Shop, Inc. | General Overhead | 88745 |
| Cornerstone Printing Inc | Representational Activities | 88671 |
| Media Analysis, Inc. | Representational Activities | 80540 |
| Hyatt House Emeryville/ San Francisco Bay | Representational Activities | 75850 |
| Fairmont Hotel Sf | Representational Activities | 75104 |
| Benenson Strategy Group, LLC | Political Activities | 70731 |
| Embassy Suites Phoenix Downtown North | Representational Activities | 69573 |
| Doubletree Mission Valley | Representational Activities | 68378 |
| Best Food Trucks, Inc. | Representational Activities | 64844 |
| Sonesta Es Suites Tempe | Representational Activities | 61722 |
| La Bonita Taqueria | Representational Activities | 61463 |
| Slick Innovations LLC | Representational Activities | 58890 |
| Hyatt Regency Monterey | General Overhead | 58472 |
| Doubletree Hotel La/commerce | Representational Activities | 57119 |
| Hyatt House Sacramento Midtown | Representational Activities | 55994 |
| Enterprise Rent-a-car | Representational Activities | 55135 |
| Jacobson & Zilber Strategies LLC | Political Activities | 53282 |
| Homewood Suites By Hilton San Diego Mission Valley | Representational Activities | 52220 |
| Embassy Suites By Hilton Napa Valley | Representational Activities | 50809 |
| Wendy Carrillo For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 50000 |
| Oakland Marriott City Center | Union Administration | 48184 |
| Hilton Sacramento Arden West | Union Administration | 48028 |
| Coalition Of Kaiser Permanente | Representational Activities | 46826 |
| Radar Strategies, LLC | Political Activities | 45000 |
| Einstein Bros. Bagels | Representational Activities | 44984 |
| Four Points By Sheraton San Jose Airport | Representational Activities | 42326 |
| Promo Shop, Inc. | Union Administration | 41843 |
| Homewood Suites By Hilton San Diego Downtown | Representational Activities | 40200 |
| Doubletree By Hilton Modesto | Representational Activities | 38388 |
| Sandor’S Gourmet Catering, Inc | Representational Activities | 37465 |
| Rob Bonta For Ca Attorney General 2026 | Political Activities | 36400 |
| The Kinney/wayfarer San Luis Obispo | Representational Activities | 34625 |
| Howard Advocacy, Inc | Political Activities | 33000 |
| Homewood Suites Oxnard | Representational Activities | 32976 |
| El Pollo Loco – Tws Restaurant Corp | Representational Activities | 32823 |
| International Rescue Committee, Inc | Representational Activities | 30380 |
| Douglas Parking, LLC | General Overhead | 30079 |
| Hampton Inn Riverside Downtown | Representational Activities | 29729 |
| Monrad Strategies | Representational Activities | 28250 |
| United Airlines | Representational Activities | 28119 |
| Marriott San Diego Mission Valley | Representational Activities | 26193 |
| Instacart.com | Representational Activities | 26133 |
| Residence Inn By Marriott San Diego La Jolla | Representational Activities | 26011 |
| Towneplace Suites By Marriott San Diego Downtown | Representational Activities | 25852 |
| Executive Inn & Suites Embarcadero Cove- Oak | Representational Activities | 25797 |
| Parc 55 Wyndam Sf- Hilton | Representational Activities | 25099 |
| Rick Rivera Dba J&r Graphics And Printing | Representational Activities | 25060 |
| Friends Of Brandon Johnson — Chicago | Political Activities | 25000 |
| Seiu Texas Pac | Political Activities | 25000 |
| Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Oakland | Union Administration | 24530 |
| Nancy Hutt, Atty | Representational Activities | 23675 |
| Robert M Hirsch | Representational Activities | 23673 |
| Residence Inn By Marriott Los Angeles-pasadena | Representational Activities | 23467 |
| Hyatt Place Lax/ Century Boulevard | Union Administration | 22430 |
| Mark Gonzalez For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 21800 |
| Rusty Hicks For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 21800 |
| Progressive Contact Tech, Inc | Political Activities | 21780 |
| Marriott San Diego Mission Valley | Representational Activities | 20787 |
| Doubletree Hotel La/commerce | Union Administration | 20523 |
| Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs Hotel | Representational Activities | 20202 |
| Black Women’S Forum, Inc. | Contributions, Gifts And Grants | 20000 |
| Ca Legislative Black Caucus | Contributions, Gifts And Grants | 20000 |
| Los Angeles County Democratic Party | Political Activities | 20000 |
| Maria Elena Durazo Bmc | Political Activities | 20000 |
| Staybridge Suites Anaheim At Park | Representational Activities | 19883 |
| Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown Arena | Political Activities | 19839 |
| Residence Inn Riverside Moreno Valley | Representational Activities | 19813 |
| Jw Marriott Los Angeles La Live | Political Activities | 19594 |
| Pacific Printing (sj) | Union Administration | 19244 |
| Southwest Airlines | General Overhead | 19001 |
| Budget Rent A Car System, Inc | Representational Activities | 18960 |
| Representational Activities | 18278 | |
| Hilton Oaklanbd Airport | Representational Activities | 18119 |
| Taco & Company LLC | Representational Activities | 17983 |
| Elijahs Restaurant | Representational Activities | 17392 |
| Avis Rent A Car System Inc | Representational Activities | 16407 |
| Marina Del Rey Hotel | Representational Activities | 15466 |
| Charterup LLC | Representational Activities | 15292 |
| Embassy Suites Walnut Creek | Representational Activities | 15129 |
| Api Leadership Pac | Political Activities | 15000 |
| Close The Gap Ca | Contributions, Gifts And Grants | 15000 |
| Lgbt Caucus Leadership Fund | Political Activities | 15000 |
| Our Culver | Political Activities | 15000 |
| Crowne Plaza- Phoenix Airport | Representational Activities | 14908 |
| Residence Inn By Marriott Sd Downtown/gaslamp | Representational Activities | 14621 |
| Hilton Oaklanbd Airport | Union Administration | 14421 |
| American Airlines | Representational Activities | 14309 |
| Norcal Chicken Inc | Representational Activities | 14199 |
| Cornerstone Displays LLC | Representational Activities | 13421 |
| Hyatt House San Ramon | Representational Activities | 13402 |
| Skillful Communications, Inc | Representational Activities | 13153 |
| Alliance Graphics, Inc. | Representational Activities | 12914 |
| Clue – La | Contributions, Gifts And Grants | 12500 |
| Hilton Garden Inn San Diego/mission Valley Stadium | Representational Activities | 12409 |
| Homewood Suites By Hilton- Lax | Representational Activities | 12271 |
| Home2 Suites By Hilton Hayward | Representational Activities | 12127 |
| Delta Airlines | Representational Activities | 11933 |
| Holiday Inn Express & Suites Loma Linda-sanb | Representational Activities | 11847 |
| Candlewood Suites Ontario | Representational Activities | 11831 |
| Uber 866-576-1039 | Representational Activities | 11669 |
| Us Bus Charter & Limo/ Us Coachways Inc. | Union Administration | 11586 |
| Staybridge Suites San Bernadino | Representational Activities | 11384 |
| Omni Los Angeles Hotel | Representational Activities | 11346 |
| Christy Holstege For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Clarissa Cervantes For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Friends Of Solache For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Kathryn Lybarger For Senate 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Kipp Mueller For Senate 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Lena Gonzalez For Senate 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Lisa Middleton For Senate 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Liz Ortega For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Mia Bonta For Assembly | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Paula Villescaz For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Pilar Schiavo For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Alex Lee For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Chambers For Senate 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Rhodesia Ransom For Senate 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Rick Chavez Zbur For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Riddle For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Robert Torres For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Rocha For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Sabrina Cervantes For Senate 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Sabrina Cervantes For Senate 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Sade Elhaway For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Sasha Renee Perez For Senate 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Steve Bennett For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 10900 |
| Fairfield Inn Marriott Sac | Representational Activities | 10836 |
| Homewood Suites-fresno | Representational Activities | 10746 |
| City Of Oakland Parking Partners | General Overhead | 10648 |
| Alaska Airlines | Representational Activities | 10608 |
| Spotlight Design & Printing | General Overhead | 10596 |
| Raspado Xpress | Representational Activities | 10536 |
| Aaa Rents & Events Inc | Representational Activities | 10448 |
| Jacobson & Zilber Strategies LLC | Political Activities | 10316 |
| Arizona Democratic Party | Political Activities | 10000 |
| Close The Gap Ca | Political Activities | 10000 |
| Doubletree Hotel | Representational Activities | 9781 |
| Hilton Oaklanbd Airport | General Overhead | 9599 |
| Elife Limo/ Elife Tech Inc. | Representational Activities | 9568 |
| Dante’S Cafe | Representational Activities | 9533 |
| Housing And Economic Rights Advocates | Representational Activities | 9500 |
| Ventura Beach Marriott | Representational Activities | 9480 |
| Residence Inn #878 (la Mirada) | Representational Activities | 9231 |
| Residence Inn San Jose Airport | Representational Activities | 9087 |
| Hilton Garden Inn-garden Grove | Representational Activities | 9026 |
| Hampton Inn & Suites Anaheim Resort Convention Ctr | Representational Activities | 8996 |
| Alliance Graphics, Inc. | General Overhead | 8866 |
| Mark Hopkins Hotel | Representational Activities | 8770 |
| Hilton Hotel San Diego Airport | Representational Activities | 8356 |
| Sara Adler, Esq | Representational Activities | 8250 |
| Candlewood Suites Anaheim- Resort Area | Representational Activities | 8227 |
| Courtyard Marriott – Oak Dwntn | Representational Activities | 8169 |
| Oxford Suites Sonoma County- Rohnert Park | Representational Activities | 7988 |
| Sf Osha Thai Bbq LLC | Representational Activities | 7928 |
| Tws Restaurant Group | Representational Activities | 7880 |
| Doubletree Monrovia | Representational Activities | 7871 |
| Homewood Suites By Hilton San Jose-silicon Valley | Representational Activities | 7806 |
| Hyatt Centric Downtown Sacramento | Political Activities | 7764 |
| New/mode Consulting, Inc. | Political Activities | 7623 |
| New River Strategies LLC | Political Activities | 7500 |
| Southwest Airlines | Contributions, Gifts And Grants | 7444 |
| The Kinney/wayfarer San Luis Obispo | General Overhead | 7384 |
| Clay Creations Studio | General Overhead | 7375 |
| Residence Inn Oxnard River Ridge | Representational Activities | 7306 |
| Brothers Mexican Restaurant | Representational Activities | 7300 |
| Homewood Suites San Bernardino | Representational Activities | 7196 |
| Best Western Bayside Oakland | Representational Activities | 7129 |
| Marriott Riverside At Convention Center | Representational Activities | 7071 |
| Homewood Suites By Hilton- Balmont | Representational Activities | 7056 |
| Beacon Consulting Group | General Overhead | 6938 |
| Chevron Gas Card | Representational Activities | 6686 |
| Hilton Concord | Representational Activities | 6621 |
| Hyatt House San Ramon | Political Activities | 6621 |
| Doubletree Hotel La/commerce | General Overhead | 6610 |
| Matsuda House Of Printing, Inc. | Political Activities | 6458 |
| Roxanne Pangilinan Sugar Mama Cookies | Representational Activities | 6352 |
| Hyatt Place San Jose Airport | Representational Activities | 6335 |
| Hilton Garden Inn Montebello | Representational Activities | 6328 |
| Holiday Inn Express & Suites- Indio | Representational Activities | 6238 |
| Damaris Express, Inc | Representational Activities | 6125 |
| Hilton Santa Cruz/scotts Valley | Representational Activities | 6059 |
| The Event Experience LLC | Representational Activities | 6052 |
| Hilton Garden Inn Emeryville/sfo/oak Bay Bridge | Representational Activities | 5920 |
| Hyatt House Lax Centry Blvd | Union Administration | 5803 |
| Holiday Inn Orange County Airport | Representational Activities | 5794 |
| Feinberg, Jackson, Worthman & Wasow Llp | Political Activities | 5685 |
| Enterprise Rent-a-car | Contributions, Gifts And Grants | 5666 |
| Hyatt Regency- Miami | Representational Activities | 5656 |
| Robert Bergeson | Representational Activities | 5635 |
| Jackie Elward For State Senate 2024 | Political Activities | 5500 |
| Marisol Rubio For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 5500 |
| Monica Wilson For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 5500 |
| Porsche Middleton For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 5500 |
| Shaw For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 5500 |
| Soria For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 5500 |
| Tina Mckinnor For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 5500 |
| California Secretary Of State | Political Activities | 5480 |
| Hyatt House Davis | Representational Activities | 5478 |
| Image Pointe | Union Administration | 5439 |
| Hotel Amarano Burbank | General Overhead | 5310 |
| Doubletree By Hilton Pleasanton At Club | Representational Activities | 5259 |
| Hampton Inn & Suites La/sherman Oaks | Representational Activities | 5215 |
| Smf Airport Shuttle LLC.-sunrise Shuttle | Political Activities | 5120 |
| Najeeb Khoury | Representational Activities | 5025 |
| Clinica Monsenor Oscar A Romero | Contributions, Gifts And Grants | 5000 |
| Community Coalition | Contributions, Gifts And Grants | 5000 |
| Contra Costa Labor To Labor | Political Activities | 5000 |
| Miguel Contreras Foundation | Contributions, Gifts And Grants | 5000 |
| Schultz For Assembly 2024 | Political Activities | 5000 |
| The Mayor’S Fund For Los Angeles File 2345 | Contributions, Gifts And Grants | 5000 |
| Working Partnerships-usa | Contributions, Gifts And Grants | 5000 |
| Ezcater | Representational Activities | 3309 |
| Homewood Suites Garden Grove | Representational Activities | 2929 |
| Holidy Inn Express & Suites Chatsworth | Representational Activities | 2268 |
Is SEIU-UHW California’s most abusive union? Read our in-depth report.
Have Something to Add?
If you've had a bad experience with SEIU-UHW, speak up!