The incoming president of California’s largest state employee union says that the labor group will not back Gov. Gavin Newsom in the recall election.
Richard Louis Brown said that the governor won in 2018 with the support of the Service Employees International Union, but has since used a projected deficit to cut state workers' pay by as much as 9%.
The state anticipated a budget deficit of $54 billion when the pandemic hit last year leading to massive cuts. However, the economy rebounded faster than expected, leading to a record $75.7 billion surplus.
Brown said that anger over union contract concessions last year helped push him to victory in the election, anger that extends to Newsom.
"He is going to need support from public sector unions to help him fight his recall," Brown told The Associated Press. "When I become president of Local 1000, he can look for somebody else to support him. He will not get any help from us. He’s on his own."
Newsom has said that he will restore state employees’ pay under the new budget that will start in July, but Brown believes that is only because the governor is facing a recall.
Brown will take his post as president of SEIU Local 1000 on June 30.
Bob Schoonover, president of SEIU California which oversees local chapters said the union "is firmly opposed to the destructive, costly and distracting recall."
Brown said he plans to end the union’s political involvement overall.
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