Senator Laphonza Butler & SEIU 2015: Ex-Union Bureaucrat Helping UBER & The Union Busters

California Democratic governor Gavin Newsom has appointed former SEU 2015 president Laphonza Butler to the US Senate to replace Senator Dianne Feinstein. According to SEIU 2015 member Bradley Wiedmaier, he was threatened with arrest by Butler for refusing to leave an excecutive board meeting of the local although according to Weidmaier, the SEIU constitution allows members to attend all meetings.

He also discuses the relationship of the SEIU to the Democratic Party and the anti-labor union busting role of Butler. She joined a consultant company and worked to oppose AB5 and help UBER pass an anti-labor initiative to prevent UBER and Lyft drivers from getting workers comp, social security and unemployment under AB5.

Laphonza Butler was also a senior Kamala Harris campaign strategist, to advise the company
on its dealings with organized labor and Kamala Harris's brother in law Tony West was Uber
Technologies Inc chief legal officer. Tony West’s total compensation for 2020 neared $12.3
million, mostly in the form of stock awards.

West led Uber’s successful efforts to get legislation passed that cemented its drivers’ status
as independent contractors, not employees, in California.

Butler also used to lead SEIU California as president and after leaving SEIU 2015 and the
SEIU she became a partner at SCRB Strategies, a consulting firm that Uber paid $105,000
during the first half of the 2019 according to records filed with the California secretary of state.
SCRB’s other partners are Juan Rodriguez, who was Kamala Harris’ campaign manager, and
Sean Clegg and Ace Smith, both senior strategists on her campaign. Butler also worked
director for public policy for Airbnb which has pushed gentrification throughout the US and
internationally.

Butler's partner in Maryland is Neneki Lee who served as National Division Director for Public
Services at the SEIU in Washington DC in 2021 where she made $121,000. She is now deputy director to the SEIU Internatonal Secretary Treasurer April Verrett. Verrett was formerly the president of SEIU 2015 and Controller of the California Democratic Party.
She was elected as Secretary Treasurer of the SEIU in 2022 by the Executive Board where she makes $260,745.

This interview done on 10/2/23

Additional Media:
SEIU CA Homecare Workers Speak Out About Corruption By Tyrone Freeman & SEIU Andy Stern
https://youtu.be/rgS16THF4Kk

"Stealth Election" Issues Facing Dave Regan's SEIU UHW in The Rigging Of The 2014 Election
https://youtu.be/11wo3plRb9I

SEIU 2012 Convention SMART Report-Real Issues Covered Up By "Henry Team”
https://youtu.be/NIwe2qNovrg

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