California Labor Leader Backing Billionaire Tax Faces Harassment and Coercion Accusations

A prominent California union official spearheading a high-profile initiative to tax the state's wealthiest residents has been accused of engaging in a pattern of harassment, intimidation, and aggressive conduct directed at several female colleagues within an affiliated labor organization.

The accusations against Dave Regan, who serves as president of the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, were revealed in an investigative findings report commissioned by SEIU California. The document, which was finalized in June and subsequently obtained by The Associated Press following an initial report by the Los Angeles Times, compiles testimony from current and former union staff and leaders.

According to the inquiry, Regan allegedly deployed aggressive strong-arm tactics and intimidation to coerce fellow union leadership into endorsing Proposition 40, a November ballot initiative aimed at establishing a dedicated tax on California billionaires.

Beyond recent workplace disputes over ballot campaign strategy, the investigative findings outline accusations stretching back more than fifteen years. Among the most serious claims is an allegation that Regan engaged in physical aggression against a female union executive during an earlier internal political conflict.

Addressing the controversy during a press briefing, Regan conceded that he has previously used profanity during heated interactions with union officials. However, he forcefully rejected any assertions of physical assault, maintaining that he would take accountability for his actual words and deeds while refusing to accept what he characterized as outright fabrications.

The policy at the heart of the labor dispute, Proposition 40, seeks to establish a one-time levy of 5% on the assets of billionaires residing in California. Revenue generated by the measure is intended to offset recent reductions in federal funding for healthcare programs that serve low-income populations across the state.

The legislative proposal has exposed deep ideological fractures within California's political landscape, creating friction among typically unified Democratic factions and labor organizations. Although Regan's local healthcare union remains the principal proponent of the initiative, the statewide umbrella federation, SEIU California, has pointedly withheld its endorsement.

In response to the report's disclosure, SEIU-UHW leadership asserted that political opponents of the billionaire tax orchestrated the document's release to derail the ballot measure ahead of the autumn election. The local union maintained that wealthy interests are seeking to divide labor groups to protect their fortunes, reiterating its core campaign message demanding funding restoration for working-class healthcare.

Representatives for SEIU-UHW further claimed that investigators assembled disconnected verbal disagreements from across two decades without proper situational context, arguing the compilation was designed to construct a misleading portrayal of the union president's executive conduct.

Conversely, leadership at SEIU California stated that commissioning the probe and addressing the findings was essential to preserving core institutional commitments to equity, mutual respect, and safe professional environments. The statewide organization emphasized that union members are routinely encouraged to confront institutional abuses, arguing that executive leaders must similarly take a stand against unacceptable workplace behaviors.

Among the specific accounts detailed in the investigative findings is testimony from Tia Orr, the executive director of SEIU California. Orr reported that Regan confronted her during a December conversation, delivering an ultimatum that her organization must formally back the tax measure prior to January 1 or face direct retribution, warning that he was "coming for" her. Orr subsequently expressed serious safety concerns to union colleagues after uncovering additional reports of Regan berating female personnel.

As a direct consequence of the investigation's conclusions, SEIU California submitted formal internal charges against Regan to the SEIU International Union, accusing the healthcare local president of sustained patterns of extortion, bullying, and intimidation.

The investigative file also revisits a historical confrontation involving Courtni Pugh, who served as the union's executive director prior to stepping down in 2009. Pugh recounted to investigators that during a past internal political dispute, Regan shouted profanities, kicked open her office door, cornered her against a bookcase, and demeaned her professional fortitude by claiming she lacked the toughness needed for her position.

SEIU-UHW dismissed Pugh's account as an exaggerated allegation from seventeen years ago, pointing out that her current political consulting firm has maintained professional ties with organizations mobilizing against Proposition 40.

Pugh stood firmly by her testimony, describing the response from Regan's union as deeply disrespectful toward individuals who experienced his aggressive demeanor. She stated that she had reported the door-kicking confrontation to coworkers when it originally took place, explaining that she chose to cooperate with the recent investigation to prevent other women in the labor movement from facing similar mistreatment.