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SEIU-UHW West
| SEIU-UHW West | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | California |
| Type: | 501(c)(5) |
| Affiliation: | SEIU |
| Top official: | Dave Regan, President |
| Website: | Official website |
| Connections | |
| *Service Employees International Union | |
The Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW West) is a labor union for healthcare workers in California. The SEIU-UHW West is headquartered in Oakland, California, and affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).[1]
SEIU-UHW West has worked to support or oppose at least eight statewide ballot initiatives since 2018, most recently in the 2024 election cycle.[2]
Background
In 2005, SEIU-UHW West was formed when SEIU Local 250 and SEIU Local 399 merged into a single labor organization. SEIU Local 250 originated in 1938 as the Hospital & Institutional Workers Union #19818. In 2006, members of SEIU Local 535 also joined SEIU-UHW West.[3]
In 2009, disagreements between the national SEIU and the local SEIU-UHW West caused the SEIU to impose a trusteeship on UHW, removing the union's leadership, including longtime president Sal Rosselli. [4]
As of 2025, members of SEIU-UHW West worked in some of the largest private hospitals and health organizations in California, including Dignity Health, Kaiser Permanente, Prime Healthcare, Sutter Health, Tenet, and Sharp Healthcare.[1]
Leadership
As of July 2025, the following individuals are members of the SEIU-UHW West executive committee:[5]
- Dave Regan, president
- Stan Lyles , vice president
- Cass Gualvez, executive committee member
- Chokri Bensaid, executive committee member
- Dennis Anderson, executive committee member
- Gabriel Montoya, executive committee member
- Hortencia Armendariz, executive committee member
- Sonya Allen-smith, executive committee member
- Vicki Jackson, executive committee member
Work and activities
Legislative and policy work
SEIU-UHW West will routinely endorse candidates for office and support legislation in the California Legislature.[6]The group advocates for policies such as reviewing compliance with nurse-to-patient ratios and creating a statewide $25-per-hour minimum wage for healthcare workers.[7] The union has a program helping its members build personal relationships with legislators.[8] As of July 2025, the union also partners with The Fairness Project to work on ballot initiatives across the country.[9]
Ballot measure activity
Overview of ballot measure support and opposition
Statewide
The following table details SEIU-UHW West's stances on statewide ballot measures that were on the ballot or campaigns are collecting signatures for:
| Statewide ballot measure support and opposition for SEIU-UHW West | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot measure | Year | Position | Status |
| California Proposition 36, Drug and Theft Crime Penalties and Treatment-Mandated Felonies Initiative | 2024 | Opposed |  Approved
|
| Arizona Proposition 209, Healthcare Debt Interest Rate Limit and Debt Collection Exemptions Initiative | 2022 | Supported | Approved
|
| California Proposition 29, Dialysis Clinic Requirements Initiative | 2022 | Supported |  Defeated
|
| Arizona Hospital Worker Minimum Wage and Insurance Regulations Initiative | 2020 | Supported | Not on the ballot |
| California Proposition 23: Dialysis Clinic Requirements Initiative | 2020 | Supported | Defeated
|
| California Proposition 8: Limits on Dialysis Clinics' Revenue and Required Refunds | 2018 | Supported | Defeated
|
| Michigan Proposal 2: Independent Redistricting Commission | 2018 | Supported | Approved
|
California Proposition 36, Drug and Theft Crime Penalties and Treatment-Mandated Felonies Initiative (2024)
California Proposition 36, Drug and Theft Crime Penalties and Treatment-Mandated Felonies Initiative (2024) increased penalties for certain drug crimes by increasing sentence lengths and the level of crime. The initiative also increased sentences based on the quantity of certain drugs sold illegally and required individuals receiving increased sentences for this reason to serve their entire sentence in state prison, regardless of their criminal history. Additionally, the initiative increased penalties for certain theft crimes.
SEIU UHW-West donated $250,000 to oppose Proposition 36.[10] The measure was approved on November 5, 2024.
Arizona Proposition 209, Healthcare Debt Interest Rate Limit and Debt Collection Exemptions Initiative (2022)
Arizona Proposition 209 was designed to set a limit on interest rates for debt accrued from receiving healthcare services equal to either the weekly average one-year constant maturity treasury yield or 3%, as well as increasing the amount of value for certain property and earnings exempt from attachment, execution, forced sale, and any other debt collection processes. The measure was approved on November 8, 2022.
California Proposition 29, Dialysis Clinic Requirements Initiative (2022)
California Proposition 29 was designed to require dialysis clinics to have at least one physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant while patients are being treated, and to report data on dialysis-related infections; and not discriminate against patients based on the source of payment for care. Proposition 29 was defeated on November 8, 2022. The SEIU-UHW West contributed $7.97 million to the initiative.
Arizona Hospital Worker Minimum Wage and Insurance Regulations Initiative (2020)
In August 2019, the SEIU-UHW West announced that the labor union would aid the campaign behind the Arizona Hospital Worker Minimum Wage and Insurance Regulations Initiative. The ballot initiative was designed to increase the minimum wage for direct care hospital workers, including nurses, aides, technicians, janitorial and housekeeping staff, food service workers, and non-managerial administrative staff. The ballot initiative would also enact several changes to healthcare insurance regulations.
California Proposition 8 (2018)
California Proposition 8 would have required dialysis clinics to issue refunds to patients or patients' payers for revenue above 115 percent of direct patient care and healthcare improvement costs. Proposition 8 was defeated. The SEIU-UHW West organized the campaign committee Californians for Kidney Dialysis Patient Protection to support the ballot initiative and contributed $17.79 million in cash and $84,698 in services. Opponents of Proposition 8, including DaVita, Fresenius Medical Care North America, and U.S. Renal Care, raised $111.48 million. Since the committees in support or opposition of Proposition 8 had raised a combined $130.43 million, Proposition 8 was the most expensive ballot measure of 2018.[11]
The SEIU-UHW West said workers at dialysis clinics had been attempting to unionize since 2016, but that their employers were retaliating against pro-union employees.[12] Kent Thiry, CEO of DaVita, argued that "Proposition 8 puts California patients at risk in an effort to force unionization of employees."[13][14] Kathy Fairbanks, an opposition spokesperson, similiary stated, "[Sponsors] want to bring the dialysis community to the table and unionize it. This is just leverage."[15] Wherley, a spokesperson for the SEIU-UHW West, contended that dialysis workers "want these [initiative] reforms regardless of what happens with their union efforts."[16]
Michigan Proposal 2 (2018)
In 2918, the SEIU-UHW West contributed $500,000 to the campaign behind Michigan Proposal 2, which was designed to transfer the power to draw the state's congressional and legislative districts from the state legislature to an independent redistricting commission.[17] Proposal 2 was approved at the election on November 6, 2018.
Change of position on California Proposition 52 (2016)
From December 2015 to September 2016, the SEIU-UHW West contributed $3.53 million and loaned $8.05 million to the campaign opposed to California Proposition 52. Proposition 52 was designed to continue the hospital fee program for Medicaid and require a two-thirds legislative vote and electoral approval to end the program. The SEIU-UHW West argued that the measure would divert funds from patients and favor corporations and hospital executives. The labor union's position on Proposition 52 changed from opposed to neutral in September 2016. Spokesperson Steve Trossman said, "After evaluating the many critical local, state and national races that are happening where we have a strong interest this November, we’ve decided to focus our political resources in other areas."[18]
Local
The following table details SEIU-UHW West's stances on local ballot measures:
| Local ballot measure support and opposition for SEIU-UHW West | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot measure | Year | Position | Status |
| Livermore, California, Measure U: Healthcare Cost Regulations | 2018 | Supported | Defeated
|
| Palo Alto, California, Measure F: Healthcare Cost Regulations | 2018 | Supported | Defeated
|
| San Francisco, California, Proposition D: Vacancy Appointments | 2016 | Opposed | Defeated
|
| San Francisco, California, Proposition J: Minimum Wage Increase | 2014 | Supported | Approved
|
Proposed
The following table details SEIU-UHW West's stances on ballot measures that were proposed but failed to make the ballot:
| Proposed ballot measure support and opposition for SEIU-UHW West | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot measure | Year | Position | Status |
| Arizona Limits on Dialysis Clinics' Revenue and Required Refunds | 2018 | Supported | 
|
| California Limits on Managed Health Insurance Premiums | 2018 | Supported |
|
| California Tax on Incomes Exceeding $1 Million for Hospitals, Health Clinics, and Workforce Training | 2018 | Supported |
|
| Ohio Limits on Dialysis Clinics' Revenue and Required Refunds | 2018 | Supported |
|
| California $15 Minimum Wage | 2016 | Supported |
|
| Arizona Hospital Executive Compensation Limit | 2016 | Supported |
|
| California Hospital Executive Compensation Limit | 2016 | Supported |
|
| California Limits on Hospital Charges and Required Refunds | 2014 | Supported |
|
| California Limits on Nonprofit Hospital Executive Compensation | 2014 | Supported |
|
| California Nonprofit Hospitals' Charity Care | 2012 | Supported |
|
| California Limits on Private Hospital Charges | 2012 | Supported |
|
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Finances
The following is a breakdown of SEIU-UHW West revenues and expenses for the 2021 to 2023 fiscal years, according to documents submitted to the Internal Revenue Service and compiled by Guidestar:
| Annual revenue and expenses for SEIU-UHW West, 2021–2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tax Year | Total Revenue | Total Expenses |
| 2023[19] | $119,688,805 | $138,194,117 |
| 2022[19] | $115,747,893 | $101,882,921 |
| 2021[19] | $111,803,398 | $111,156,682 |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms SEIU United Healthcare Workers West. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- What is an influencer?
- SEIU
- SEIU California State Council
- California Proposition 8, Limits on Dialysis Clinics' Revenue and Required Refunds Initiative (2018)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 SEIU-UHW West, "About SEIU-UHW West," accessed July 20, 2025
- ↑ SEIU UHW , "Election Endorsements," accessed July 29, 2025
- ↑ SF Gate, "Unions battle over health care workers," December 7, 2008
- ↑ San Francisco Business Times, "SEIU imposes trusteeship on UHW local, UHW leaders “reject” move," January 28, 2009
- ↑ SEIU-UHW , "SEIU-UHW Unionwide Executive Committee Members," accessed July 29, 2025
- ↑ SEIU-UHW , "Political Victories," accessed July 25, 2025
- ↑ SEIU-UHW , "Passing Laws to Improve Healthcare," accessed July 29, 2025
- ↑ SEIU-UHW , "Member Power is Political Power," accessed July 29, 2025
- ↑ SEIU-UHW , "Taking Action Beyond California," accessed July 29, 2025
- ↑ "California Fair Political Practices Commission," "Top 10 Contributors List," accessed July 25, 2025
- ↑ Cal-Access, "Campaign Finance," accessed March 30, 2018
- ↑ PR Newswire, "California Assembly Speaker Urges Dialysis Company to Stop Retaliating Against Workers Who Support Union, Improving Patient Care, Reports SEIU-UHW," June 29, 2017
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedlatimes5 - ↑ The Sacramento Bee, "Union’s hardball tactics put dialysis patients in the crossfire," March 22, 2018
- ↑ CAL Matters, "In California, a fight over clinics for kidney patients," May 30, 2018
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "While dialysis clinic battle brews at state Capitol, healthcare workers look to the ballot," August 9, 2017
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "2018 Ballot Proposals," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ San Francisco Chronicle, "Prop. 52, a measure to fund Medi-Cal, is its own worst enemy," September 9, 2016
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 'Candid, "S E I U Uhw Local 2005" accessed July 22,2025
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