Behind shadowy union boss pushing California's billionaire's tax - who faced sleazy workplace claims

The man who could make or break California’s future isn’t Gavin Newsom or 
Donald Trump — but a powerful union boss many fear is hell-bent on driving 
$1 trillion in wealth from the state.

Dave Regan, who’s been the head of the SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West 
since 2011, wants billionaires to pay 5% of their wealth to the the state.

But the widely-panned tax already has some of the wealthiest Californians 
— facing staggering tax bills as high as $12 billion — seriously 
considering packing their bags for cheaper states.

ave Regan is head of SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, the union 
pushing the controversial billionaire tax.
youtube/@SEIU-UHW

The proposed tax, which needs 874,641 signatures to land on the November 
ballot, would impose a one-time, 5% tax on the total assets of 
approximately 200 billionaires in California.

According to proponents, the tax would raise up to $100 billion in tax 
revenue over five years

While supporters claim the one-off tax would raise $100 billion over about 
five years, it’s also widely predicted to drive an exodus of entrepreneurs 
responsible for tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions in tax 
revenue.

Regan has a reputation as a bare-knuckled operator known for pushing 
statewide ballot measures as political leverage — and even Newsom hinted 
at frustration with his tactics last year.

“We have one individual that represents one labor union in the state of 
California that has not collected one signature that is considering 
putting on the ballot, after he collects signatures, a wealth tax that the 
vast majority of labor opposes,” Newsom griped in December at the New York 
Times Dealbook conference, speaking of the billionaire tax.

It’s not Regan’s first rodeo pushing a divisive voter initiative — a 
tactic he once called the “best bargain in politics.”

His progressive union has led the charge on vexing ballot questions like 
whether to regulate the kidney dialysis industry — which California voters 
rejected three times in a row —along with others, like a $15 minimum wage 
proposal in 2015 that it pulled after legislators offered their own plan 
to raise wages.

Dialysis corporations and their consultants were forced to spend over $110 
million to defeat just one of the union’s ballot questions. And the labor 
group claims credit for boosting wages, expanding Medicaid and improving 
bankruptcy protections at the ballot box.

All told, the union representing 120,000 mostly healthcare workers has 
spent $75 million on 45 initiatives since 2012 — the majority of which 
were either rejected or tossed out, according to The Information.

The union denied that the controversial billionaire tax is a bid for 
political leverage, rather a way to make up for the state healthcare and 
education programs that have been cut by the Trump administration. 

“The campaign is seeing broad support from voters for a one-time, 5% tax 
on billionaires to close the gap on federal healthcare cuts in HR1. Voters 
will have the chance to vote Yes on this ballot measure in November,” said 
Nathan Selzer, spokesperson for SEIU-UHW.

“There is no other viable solution right now – within the state budget or 
otherwise – to fill the funding gaps and chaos created by HR1,” he added, 
referring to Trump’s so-called Big Beautiful Bill that cut healthcare 
funding.

Regan declined repeated interview requests. 

“He’s an organizer. He’s not a big, flashy character,” Jim Ross, a 
longtime California political consultant. 

Regan, who led another SEIU chapter in Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky 
before landing in California, has ruffled feathers even within the labor 
movement. 

Regan was installed SEIU-UHW president after a contentious takeover that 
involved firing “dozens of staffers” and sidelining more than 200 elected 
stewards that he deemed disloyal, according to Payday Report.  

Past allegations of misconduct by Regan resurfaced during a 2023 Senate 
Judiciary Committee confirmation process, years after a California lawsuit 
accusing union officials of widespread misconduct ended in a confidential 
settlement.

The lawsuit, filed by former union staffer Mindy Sturge, described a toxic 
workplace culture involving alcohol, sexual harassment and misconduct by 
senior leaders, including Regan.

This was an 8-year-old lawsuit that was settled. Dave Regan was never a 
defendant in the suit,” Selzer said.

The union claims it’s racking up major support for the billionaire tax — 
as out-of-state allies like lefty Sen. Bernie Sanders stump in favor of 
the plan.

“The support from labor, community allies, and voters around this 
initiative has been overwhelmingly positive. The majority of endorsements 
will be intentionally announced once signature gathering has been 
completed,” Selzer said. “We have over 100 endorsements already and expect 
hundreds more — most of which will be rolled out between April and 
November.”

But critics say it’s already butchered the golden goose by driving as much 
as $1 trillion in wealth out of California — crippling future tax 
revenues.

The independent state Legislative Analyst wrote that the tax could raise 
tens of billions in revenue — but result in an ongoing revenue loss of 
“hundreds of millions of dollars or more per year.” 

Billionaires including venture capitalist Peter Thiel and Google co-
founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page have taken steps to move assets out of 
California after the tax was proposed. 

Brin, who could be hit with a $12 billion bill if the billionaire tax 
measure passes, gave $20 million to a group called Building a Better 
California that is opposed to the tax, per reports.

Thiel, who could be on the hook for $1 billion in California taxes, moved 
an office for his firm Thiel Capital to Miami last year in what was seen 
as a move to dodge the tax.

Newsom and other mainstream Democrats have distanced themselves from the 
billionaire tax, saying it goes too far. 

“It’s really just one rogue guy on an island trying to steer money to his 
special interest at the expense of everyone else,” said a source familiar 
with the campaign.

https://nypost.com/2026/02/21/us-news/dave-regan-ca-union-boss-pushes-
divisive-billionaire-tax/