California Labor Leader Backing Billionaires' Tax Faces Allegations of Harassment and Intimidation

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A prominent California labor leader who spearheaded a contentious ballot measure targeting the wealth of billionaires is confronting serious allegations of verbal abuse, intimidation, and past physical harassment directed at female union officials, according to findings from an internal union inquiry. Dave Regan, who serves as president of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, is accused of engaging in a sustained campaign of hostility against women within the broader labor movement.

The detailed allegations emerged from a formal investigative document commissioned by the statewide union organization SEIU California. Obtained by The Associated Press following an initial report by the Los Angeles Times, the investigative file compiles firsthand testimonies from current and former labor personnel detailing instances where Regan allegedly exerted illicit pressure to secure political backing for the tax initiative scheduled for the upcoming November ballot.

The focal point of the underlying political dispute is Proposition 40, a high-stakes initiative that proposes establishing a one-time 5% levy on California's wealthiest residents. The revenue generated by the tax on billionaires is designed to compensate for severe federal spending reductions affecting healthcare programs dedicated to low-income residents across the state.

While the initiative aims to safeguard healthcare funding for vulnerable communities, it has sparked profound internal divisions among traditional political allies. The measure has opened significant fractures within California’s Democratic establishment and between normally aligned labor organizations. Whereas Regan’s local union, SEIU-UHW, remains the primary sponsor and proponent of the proposition, the broader umbrella group SEIU California has pointedly declined to offer its endorsement.

Central to the investigative findings are claims brought forward by Tia Orr, the executive director of SEIU California. Orr informed investigators that during an encounter in December, Regan issued an aggressive ultimatum demanding that her organization officially endorse Proposition 40 before the arrival of New Year's Day. According to the report, Regan warned her that if the deadline was missed, "I'm coming for you."

Following the encounter, Orr expressed deep distress and communicated to colleagues that she felt unsafe in her professional environment. Her disclosure subsequently brought to light a broader series of accusations, with other female union administrators and staff members describing instances where Regan subjected them to hostile conduct and aggressive verbal confrontations.

In the wake of the investigative findings, SEIU California escalated the matter by lodging formal disciplinary charges against Regan with the parent body, the SEIU International Union. The submitted charges formally accuse the local leader of orchestrating a pervasive pattern of bullying, extortion, and verbal intimidation to achieve his organizational goals.

Representatives for SEIU California emphasized that taking decisive institutional action was vital for protecting foundational standards of workplace equity, mutual respect, and fairness. Group leadership stated that just as they urge rank-and-file union members to challenge abusive authorities every day, union executives must display equal courage in confronting misconduct within their own organizational hierarchy.

Beyond recent tensions over the tax initiative, the investigative report documents an alleged physical altercation involving Courtni Pugh, who previously served as the executive director of the union before stepping down in 2009. Pugh recounted to investigators that during a heated political disagreement roughly 17 years ago, Regan violently kicked open her office door, shouted profanities, asserted she lacked the toughness needed for her leadership role, and trapped her against a bookcase.

Pugh publicly reaffirmed her allegations, characterizing Regan’s dismissals as an insult to individuals who have endured his intimidation. She noted that she had shared the details of the confrontation with colleagues when it originally occurred and chose to cooperate with the recent investigation to ensure future employees would not be subjected to similar mistreatment.

In response to the circulating report, Regan held a press briefing to address the controversy directly. While acknowledging that he had frequently utilized strong and profane language during heated interactions with fellow union officials, he categorically rejected the claims of physical aggression as unfounded fabrications, insisting he would accept responsibility for his actual conduct but would not tolerate outright falsehoods.

Officials at SEIU-UHW mounted a fierce defense of their president, describing the claims brought by Pugh as exaggerated and outdated grievances dredged up from nearly two decades in the past. The local union emphasized that the political consulting enterprise where Pugh is currently employed has provided professional services to political coalitions actively campaigning against Proposition 40.

Furthermore, leadership at SEIU-UHW contended that political adversaries and wealthy opponents engineered the public release of the report—which had been completed internally in June—in a calculated effort to undermine public support for Proposition 40 ahead of the election. The local maintained that disparate verbal arguments spanning nearly twenty years were deliberately stitched together out of context to craft a false narrative against Regan.

As voters prepare to decide on Proposition 40 in November, the unfolding dispute highlights the intense turmoil enveloping California's labor leadership. The collision between the ambitious billionaire tax measure and severe internal workplace allegations has laid bare deep ideological and personal rifts within one of the nation's most influential labor organizations.