Alejandro Stephens

Alejandro Stephens, a longtime Los Angeles County union leader who went to prison for misusing funds from a labor nonprofit, died June 13 of complications of prostate cancer. He was 67. Stephens, who worked for the county for more than three decades and spent 15 years as president of Local 660 of the Service Employees International Union, died at St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles, his niece Amber Harris said. Stephens pleaded guilty in 2009 to federal mail fraud and tax evasion charges stemming from a 2004 scheme in which he steered $52,000 from a voter outreach program to his union reelection campaign.

Alejandro Stephens, a longtime Los Angeles County union leader who went to prison for misusing funds from a labor nonprofit, died June 13 of complications of prostate cancer. He was 67. Stephens, who worked for the county for more than three decades and spent 15 years as president of Local 660 of the Service Employees International Union, died at St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles, his niece Amber Harris said. Stephens pleaded guilty in 2009 to federal mail fraud and tax evasion charges stemming from a 2004 scheme in which he steered $52,000 from a voter outreach program to his union reelection campaign.

The former president of the union that represents Los Angeles County government workers has agreed to plead guilty to federal fraud and tax charges in connection with an alleged scheme to collect illicit consulting payments from a labor-related nonprofit, officials said Thursday. Alejandro Stephens, a longtime leader of the Service Employees International Union local, signed an agreement to plead guilty to one count of filing a false income tax return and two counts of mail fraud, the U.S. attorney's office said.

As part of a lengthy corruption investigation, federal authorities have been examining $150,000 in consulting fees paid to a disgraced former Los Angeles labor leader under a confidential agreement signed by Andy Stern, then president of the powerful Service Employees International Union, according to documents and interviews. The U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles had considered filing embezzlement charges against Alejandro Stephens, who headed the SEIU local for county government workers, in connection with the payments, records obtained by The Times show.

The Service Employees International Union's top California officer has taken a leave of absence, and her former boyfriend has been ordered to return tens of thousands of dollars he received from the state council and Los Angeles local that she heads. Annelle Grajeda is the third major SEIU leader to step aside following reports in The Times about the union's financial practices. The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that Grajeda was on leave as president of the L.A. local and the union's state council, and as an executive vice president of the national organization, because of allegations that she was improperly involved in the payments.

The Service Employees International Union's highest-ranking California officer has resigned that position and two other leadership posts in the wake of an internal investigation of payments to her ex-boyfriend, it was announced Tuesday. The SEIU said its inquiry found no wrongdoing by Annelle Grajeda, who was one of six executive vice presidents of the national union as well as the head of its California council and the local that represents Los Angeles County workers.

As part of a lengthy corruption investigation, federal authorities have been examining $150,000 in consulting fees paid to a disgraced former Los Angeles labor leader under a confidential agreement signed by Andy Stern, then president of the powerful Service Employees International Union, according to documents and interviews. The U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles had considered filing embezzlement charges against Alejandro Stephens, who headed the SEIU local for county government workers, in connection with the payments, records obtained by The Times show.

A power struggle within Los Angeles County's largest employee union has quietly reached a crisis point and threatens to hamstring the union as it tries to remain a key player in the county's upcoming budget battles. The battle over control of Service Employees International Union Local 660 pits General Manager Gilbert Cedillo and President Alejandro Stephens--two leaders who differ on how the union should try to influence the county and protect the jobs of its 40,000 members.

Early last year, Alejandro Stephens' long tenure as president of one of California's biggest union locals came to an end after the labor organization he headed merged into a larger local. The Service Employees International Union sweetened Stephens' exit with severance payments and other compensation that totaled nearly $180,000, said union spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette. A condition was that Stephens give up the salary he was receiving from Los Angeles County, Ringuette said.

Los Angeles County has fired the former head of one of California's biggest labor organizations, accusing him of refusing to return to his government job after a lengthy paid leave arranged by his ex-girlfriend, a union president. Alejandro Stephens had been president of a Service Employees International Union local that represented county workers. He lost his union post in 2007, after the local was merged into a larger one whose president is Annelle Grajeda, his ex-girlfriend.

The former president of the union that represents Los Angeles County government workers has agreed to plead guilty to federal fraud and tax charges in connection with an alleged scheme to collect illicit consulting payments from a labor-related nonprofit, officials said Thursday. Alejandro Stephens, a longtime leader of the Service Employees International Union local, signed an agreement to plead guilty to one count of filing a false income tax return and two counts of mail fraud, the U.S. attorney's office said.

The Service Employees International Union's highest-ranking California officer has resigned that position and two other leadership posts in the wake of an internal investigation of payments to her ex-boyfriend, it was announced Tuesday. The SEIU said its inquiry found no wrongdoing by Annelle Grajeda, who was one of six executive vice presidents of the national union as well as the head of its California council and the local that represents Los Angeles County workers.

Los Angeles County has fired the former head of one of California's biggest labor organizations, accusing him of refusing to return to his government job after a lengthy paid leave arranged by his ex-girlfriend, a union president. Alejandro Stephens had been president of a Service Employees International Union local that represented county workers. He lost his union post in 2007, after the local was merged into a larger one whose president is Annelle Grajeda, his ex-girlfriend.

Early last year, Alejandro Stephens' long tenure as president of one of California's biggest union locals came to an end after the labor organization he headed merged into a larger local. The Service Employees International Union sweetened Stephens' exit with severance payments and other compensation that totaled nearly $180,000, said union spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette. A condition was that Stephens give up the salary he was receiving from Los Angeles County, Ringuette said.

The Service Employees International Union's top California officer has taken a leave of absence, and her former boyfriend has been ordered to return tens of thousands of dollars he received from the state council and Los Angeles local that she heads. Annelle Grajeda is the third major SEIU leader to step aside following reports in The Times about the union's financial practices. The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that Grajeda was on leave as president of the L.A. local and the union's state council, and as an executive vice president of the national organization, because of allegations that she was improperly involved in the payments.

A power struggle within Los Angeles County's largest employee union has quietly reached a crisis point and threatens to hamstring the union as it tries to remain a key player in the county's upcoming budget battles. The battle over control of Service Employees International Union Local 660 pits General Manager Gilbert Cedillo and President Alejandro Stephens--two leaders who differ on how the union should try to influence the county and protect the jobs of its 40,000 members.

Officials have closed a federal investigation into Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar's consulting work for a now-defunct nonprofit linked to organized labor. Huizar had received about $30,000 from the Voter Improvement Program for consulting services he performed in 2003 and 2004 while serving as an elected board member for the Los Angeles Unified School District, according to Huizar's public disclosure forms and sources close to the investigation. Huizar announced Tuesday that investigators had cleared him of further review, and sources with knowledge of the probe confirmed it. In a brief statement, Huizar said, "I will continue to hold myself to the highest ethical standards."

The former general manager of Los Angeles County's largest union has failed in his grass-roots effort to win reinstatement after being fired by the union's board of directors, it was announced Friday. Gilbert Cedillo, 42, was ousted in April by the board of directors of Local 660 of the Service Employees International Union, which represents about half of the county's more than 80,000 employees.