Local 11 Membership Continues to Decline as Controversies Weigh

According to its 2025 Form LM-2 – annual financial information unions are required to submit to the federal government – UNITE HERE Local 11’s membership continued its decline in 2025, losing 4.1% of its members. The union’s membership is now down 29% from its high-water mark in 2023. 

Why might this be happening? 

A recent whistleblower report written by local union leaders cited Eyeson11’s research (read our full write-up here) and called out Local 11 for alleged discrimination, dues increases, and nepotism. The report suggests major internal strife and unhappiness within the union – which could well explain why membership continues to fall. 

Now, the new LM-2 confirms a number of the criticisms made in the report.

Local 11 Co-President Susan Minato’s husband, Gregory Griffith, remains on the union’s payroll as a contractor, and pulled in almost $75,000 from Local 11 in 2025. He’s now collected over $900,000 in total from the Local for “IT services.” Likewise, Local 11 Co-President Kurt Petersen’s daughter remains on the union’s staff as well. She actually received an 8% raise last year.

The union also significantly raised dues for its members. The top rate for Local 11’s membership dues increased by 24% in 2025. Members now pay up to $1,356 per year for the privilege of Local 11’s representation. 

Higher dues to pay the family members of union officers? It’s no wonder that members are fleeing.

Other items from the 2025 LM-2 also raise eyebrows. 

The Local gave over $700,000 to Worker Power, a left-wing political group that canvasses for elections in Arizona. Only a small minority of Local 11’s members work in Arizona. 

Other donations included several hundred thousand dollars to the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) and Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE). Both LAANE and CLUE have ties to anti-Israel activism.

Local 11 also reported a number of receipts from Fresenius, a medical provider based in Phoenix. Local 11 owns a property at 1021 S. 7th Avenue in Phoenix, where Fresenius Kidney Care has a location. It appears that the union is renting land to the medical provider there.

Fresenius has a rocky relationship with other major unions, notably SEIU-UHW. UHW is currently suing Fresenius for unfair labor practices after allegedly firing a union organizer. 

The whistleblower report accused Local 11’s third Co-President, Ada Briceño, of “undermining solidarity among unions and weakening the collective power of working people in the region.”

Based on the new LM-2, it looks like Local 11 is receiving rent from a company with a history of conflict with other California unions. 

It sure looks like there’s fire tied to the smoke raised by the whistleblower report. No doubt Local 11’s membership will continue to slip unless the union changes course.