SEIU Ousts Senior Leaders for Abusive Behavior Toward Women

(Bloomberg) -- The Service Employees International Union, the second-largest labor union in the U.S., has fired a senior staff member and accepted the resignation of another following allegations of workplace harassment at the organization.

“These personnel actions are the culmination of this stage of the investigation which brought to light the serious problems related to abusive behavior towards staff, predominantly female staff,” an SEIU spokeswoman said in an email. 

Kendall Fells, one of the top national leaders of SEIU’s "Fight For 15" campaign, has resigned, according to a person familiar with the actions. Fells declined to comment. Detroit leader Mark Raleigh was fired, the person said. 

In October, SEIU also fired Caleb Jennings, who had spearheaded Fight For 15 in Chicago. Jennings denied wrongdoing. “President Mary Kay Henry should focus on the systemic abuse that has been going on within the institution, and hold accountable not just the perpetrators, but the many who have been complicit,” he said in an email.

The investigation was triggered by allegations against SEIU executive vice president Scott Courtney, an architect of the campaign to raise the minimum wage, who resigned last week. According to SEIU staff, Courtney had a pattern of dating subordinates.

To contact the reporter on this story: Josh Eidelson in Washington at jeidelson@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Janet Paskin at jpaskin@bloomberg.net, Jonathan Roeder

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