Two longtime eBay shareholders are demanding the e-commerce giant open up its records regarding a 2007 altercation between an employee and Meg Whitman, the company's then-chief executive and current candidate for governor, in an action organized by a major labor union opposed to her candidacy.

The New York Times first reported on the incident in June, saying that as eBay communications employee Young Mi Kim tried to prepare Whitman for a media interview, the executive became angry and "forcefully pushed her." Kim threatened a lawsuit, but ultimately received a legal settlement totaling about $200,000, the newspaper reported. After a hiatus of about four months, Kim returned to work for eBay.

A lawyer for the California Nurses Association issued a letter to eBay's board of directors on Monday demanding "the right to inspect and copy certain books and records of the corporation." It was sent on behalf of shareholders Michael Preston, a spokesman for the union, and his husband, Alameda schoolteacher Michael Meyers.

"From an outsider's perspective, it seems they were making decisions based more on protecting management than my retirement nest egg," said Preston, adding that the couple has owned 92 shares of eBay since July 2001. "It goes to questions of Meg Whitman's temperament and goes to issues of the management of eBay."

He said shareholders of the San Jose company have the right to know whether there were similar cases that could generate additional legal liabilities.

The nurses union, inflamed by the Republican candidate's proposal to eliminate state jobs as one means of closing the state's budget shortfall, has been making political hay of the confrontation since it came to light. The group, which is backing Whitman's Democratic rival Jerry Brown, quickly organized an ad campaign called "Nurses Won't Be Pushed Around."

"If we're electing somebody that has a history and pattern of abusive behavior, one might even call it violent, then I think the citizens of California have a right to know that information," said Deborah Burger, a nurses union leader, explaining why it is backing the demand to inspect the records.

The letter to eBay's board asserted a right to review the relevant materials under the California Corporation Code. The statute says such records "shall be open to inspection upon the written demand on the corporation of any shareholder ... for a purpose reasonably related to such holder's interests."

The couple is seeking access to all documents related to the confrontation, copies of the settlement agreement, confirmation of the actual payment, and any information about similar incidents and payouts. Preston said that additional union members who own eBay shares, including nurses, teachers and firefighters, will likely issue similar demands.

Neither eBay nor Whitman's campaign immediately responded to inquires from The Chronicle. The Whitman campaign initially described the incident with Kim as "a professional disagreement" in a statement to the New York Times. The candidate later acknowledged to the Los Angeles Times that she had "physically escorted" Kim from an eBay conference room.

-- The nurses union plans a protest outside Meg Whitman's home. C2