SEIU Local 1000 suspends Richard Louis Brown from Office of President
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Richard Louis Brown Suspended from Office of President at SEIU Local 1000
SACRAMENTO, CA (February 28, 2022) - The duly elected Vice Presidents of SEIU Local 1000 who comprise the Executive Committee, have thoughtfully considered their fiduciary obligations and, effective today, in accordance with policy requirements established for the immediate protection of members and staff of the Union they have suspended Richard Louis Brown from the duties of the office of President as he posed an immediate threat to the welfare of Local 1000. Until further notice, pursuant to applicable policy, Vice President/Secretary-Treasurer David Jimenez will assume the duties of President working together as a duly authorized Executive Committee with the Vice President for Organizing/Representation, Anica Walls, and Vice President for Bargaining, Irene Green. Donna Snodgrass will continue as Chief of Staff under the direction and authority of the three Vice Presidents.
After running on a platform of transparency, fiscal restraint and upholding democratic procedures, troubling patterns emerged with Brown’s actions that dismantled transparency, financial prudence and democracy. Due to his actions, the three Vice Presidents had no alternative but to promptly step in to restore fiscal prudence, board oversight, democratic procedures, and the proper delegation of officer and board duties all to protect and preserve the Union for its members.
A Union as important as SEIU Local 1000 owes its represented workers its utmost assurance that it will act through its democratically and legally elected Board of Directors, that its board members will act with sound and prudent business judgement, and that it will honor its fiduciary responsibility and protect the assets for the benefit of its members.
Of grave concern to the Union leadership were Brown’s improper and self-interested actions that included:
1. Willfully failing to hold Board meetings which dismantled officer and board oversight over the actions or expenditures of the Union which were put in place to protect the members’ dues monies.
2. Intentionally interfering with the Executive Committee authority to carry out its duties and roles as set forth in Bylaws, Policy File, and applicable law allowing Brown to misuse his role and authority in connection with a number of lawsuits against the Union in a manner that benefitted his own self-interest at the expense of the Union and without its authority and jeopardizing the assets of the union.
3. Deliberately defying a prior Board action so that he could lavish staff with additional paid days off without regard to the significant cost at the expense of hard-working members’ dues as if he sought to portray himself as omnipotent leader.
4. Grossly misusing the authority of his office to retaliate against other leaders who questioned his actions and fiscal malfeasance when he summarily and without just cause attempted to suspend the memberships of the three Vice Presidents in violation of state law (Corp. Code 7341). This unfounded action was improperly based on Brown’s own self-interest in insulating himself from express provisions in the Union’s governing documents that allow the other statewide elected officers to serve as a check and balance on the President’s power.
While Brown is suspended immediately, if charges are filed, a fair due process hearing would take place to ensure that all parties’ rights are protected and the suspension would continue until the completion of that process.
Importantly, the three duly elected Vice Presidents will work together to protect the members’ dues and to ensure that fiscal prudence and democratic procedures are restored, and that SEIU Local 1000 will be known for real transparency and democracy and not just false promises and faded hopes for a well-run union.
David Jimenez
Vice President/Secretary-Treasurer
Anica Walls
Vice President for Organizing/Representation
Irene Green
Vice President for Bargaining