California Nurses Association Urges SEIU Leader Dave Regan to Resign

California Nurses Association Demands Resignation of SEIU Leader

The California Nurses Association (CNA) has urged Dave Regan, President of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, to step down amid allegations of inappropriate conduct. Media reports claim that Regan engaged in aggressive behavior and threats to rally support for the Prop. 40 billionaire tax initiative.

CNA Executive Director Puneet Maharaj expressed that such behavior is unacceptable in the labor movement. "At a time when we are in an existential working-class fight to protect workers from the Trump administration, the billionaire class, and employers aligned with them, we need labor leaders who are a model of the kind of just and caring society the labor movement wants to build. Regan represents the antithesis of this model, he should step down, immediately," Maharaj stated.

Maharaj criticized Regan’s behavior as particularly offensive to women, noting that CNA focuses on organizing and representing women and nurturing female leadership within the labor movement.

CNA supports SEIU California’s stance on the issue. SEIU California emphasized on social media, “Like so many others in our movement, SEIU California will always demand respect, fairness, gender equity and racial justice – period.” The statement also highlighted that the movement transcends individual contributions, focusing on empowering millions of workers to improve their lives and communities.

In a report by the San Francisco Chronicle, Regan was accused of bullying, intimidating, and attempting extortion to gain support for the ballot measure. The investigation revealed attempts to coerce an endorsement from the SEIU State Council and bullying of Tia Orr, SEIU’s executive director.

Additionally, Regan’s past includes allegations of physical harassment, including a 2009 incident where he reportedly confronted a top SEIU state official in a violent manner for not aligning with his agenda on a prior ballot measure.

CNA has historically opposed Regan's political strategies, which have included controversial agreements with employers that threatened staffing and hospital safety standards in California. Maharaj criticized Regan’s actions as prioritizing self-interest over the welfare of patients and healthcare workers, stating, “When he is also engaging in personal acts of bullying, intimidation, and physical aggression, we have all seen enough. It is long past time for him to go.”

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with more than 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and more than 225,000 RNs nationwide.

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