The Unethical Hiring of Steven Belhumeur as the New Executive Director of EAA

December 2019

(The EAA Executive Director position was NOT advertised–the opposite of this sign)

Here are some of the issues surrounding the selection of Steven Belhumeur as EAA's next (unconfirmed) Executive Director:

1. Steven Belhumeur who owns SB Strategies—a political campaign management firm—has no recent demonstrated public-sector union organizing or collective bargaining experience.

2. Steven Belhumeur was Governor Jack Kayajian’s campaign strategist and received more that $52,000 in payment for Jack Kayajian’s 2019 Council District 12 (CD 12) primary campaign.

3. Steven Belhumeur donated to Jack Kayajian’s failed 2019 CD 12 primary campaign.

4. Steven Belhumeur received payment from the $15,000 EAA Independent Expenditure, which Jack Kayajian managed for Councilmember John Lee's 2019 CD 12 campaign.

5. The relationship between Jack Kayajian and Steven Belhumeur was not disclosed to the full Board and Jack Kayajian did not excuse himself from the selection process.

6. Jack Kayajian has been hired by Councilmember Lee with a start date of 01/13/2020 and is reportedly attempting to continue to pay EAA dues to remain on the Board while working in a non-represented classification.

Update 02/12/2020: Jack Kayajian started with John Lee on 01/13/2020 but remains on the EAA Board and as a member of the Executive Committee (Secretary)--a clear and unquestionable duality of interest.

7. The Executive Director position was not advertised.

8. Of the six applicants who applied, four were invited to interview—Marleen Fonseca of EAA and Luis Arida of Local 11 were not. The full Board was not present for the interviews on November 23, 2019.

9. Local 11 has not confirmed the selection of Steven Belhumeur, which is a requirement of EAA’s By-Laws: “The Board shall employ an Executive Director for the proper conduct of the affairs of the Union. The Executive Director shall be hired at-will subject to joint confirmation by the Board of Governors and the IBEW Local 11 Business Manager.”

Update 01/16/2020: Local 11 confirmed the contract on 01/10/2020 reportedly as part of a deal for $15,000 from EAA for John Lee's 2020 CD 12 campaign--EAA's Ad-Hoc PAC voted against endorsing and donating to John Lee's campaign but the Board is yet to vote on the matter.

10. Prior to confirmation, Jack Kayajian introduced Steven Belhumeur as the new Executive Director of EAA at the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor COPE meeting on December 16, 2019.

#unethical #unconfirmed #conflictofinterest #notransparency #quidproquo

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