Two top SEIU union officials off the job in missing money investigation

(WJBK) - A shake-up at one of the state's biggest unions as two top officials are off the job amid allegations of missing money.

Allegations of fraud and theft topple two people at the top of a union representing healthcare workers in the state. The Service Employee International Union represents 9,000 healthcare workers and that's just in Michigan.

"These are nurses, homecare workers,  transportation, people working in all facets of quality care in the state of Michigan," said Inga Skippings, a union trustee,

Right now those workers are going through changes in leadership. Union president Marge Robinson and the union's secretary treasurer Shalaya Bryant have been removed from their position while the international union investigates.

"The union took steps to bring in trustees at the local and launch a pretty expansive investigation into what could have been going on here," Skippings said.

The union says a whistleblower came forward telling representatives to look at the books leading to claims of abuse of finances specifically in the union's loan and vacation policy.

"There was initial work done to suss out the credibility before we took the action we did," Skippings said.

The union won't give a dollar amount, but clearly it was enough evidence to warrant both Robinson and Bryant being removed from their position while the union looks at how long and how deep this potential fraud goes.

"In 30 days there will be a hearing that lays out the findings, it will be open to the membership and we think about the next steps from there," Skippings said.

Union members coming into the office in Detroit have seen a letter stating the change in leadership dating back to Feb. 14, when the international president says this issue was brought to their attention.