New District Elections Brings New Opportunity to Shape City Hall: Candidate Endorsements Mostly New Faces with Strong Community Ties

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This year, UFCW 21 did an early endorsement for Mike O’Brien (District 6) and Kshama Sawant (District 3). Today, UFCW 21 is announcing the rest of our endorsements for Seattle City Council.

With both Congress and the State Legislature tied-up in knots and mostly stalled in partisan gridlock, many active organizations across the nation are finding that city halls can be the best chance for creating change. Local Seattle examples from Paid Sick Days to a higher minimum wage have not only passed, but helped contribute to a nationwide movement for change. As a result, local Seattle City Council races are more important than ever.

In addition to the early endorsement (5/6/15) of O’Brien and Sawant, and our endorsement of Bruce Harrell (District 2), UFCW 21 Seattle City Council Endorsements include these new candidates for City Hall:

Lorena González: Position 9, City Wide

Jon Grant: Position 8, City Wide

Rob Johnson: District 4

Dual Primary Endorsement: Sandy Brown and Halei Watkins: District 5

“The new labor standards we have passed in Seattle in the last four years are great, but workers still face many struggles that require legislative solutions, like affordable housing, transportations, hours and scheduling, police accountability, and environmental protections.”
— Sarah Cherin, Political and Public Policy Director of UFCW 21.

Lisa Herbold: District 1

With every city council position open this year, 2015 provides a real opportunity for a set of values in city hall and local expertise on issues that matter most to our members and the communities we all live in:

Mike O’Brien
(Champion for labor, environment, accountability and our community benefits)

Kshama Sawant
(Leader on Higher Wages, better labor enforcement)

Jon Grant
(Housing)

 Rob Johnson
(Transportation)

Lorena González
(Employment rights and labor enforcement)

Sandy Brown
(Social Services)

Halei Watkins
(Civil Rights)

Lisa Herbold
(People’s knowledge of City Hall, strong progressive)

Bruce Harrell
(Ban the Box, Minimum Wage, Worker Scheduling)

Providence Holy Family Contract Negotiations Continue

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You Have the Right

As a worker in America you have certain rights. Now that you have voted to join a union, you have even more protections in the workplace. 

You have the right to discuss union issues at work with co-workers as long as it does not interfere with your duties. “Baseball and Babies” is often the saying – meaning, if you are allowed to discuss the Spokane Indians baseball game or a co-worker’s new baby, then you are allowed under the law to discuss union topics at work as well.

If Management says you can’t, politely inform them of your rights. If they push back more, contact Union Rep Jackie Williams, 509-340-7369

UFCW 21 Community Partner Profile: Church Council of Greater Seattle, Living Wage Working Group

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UFCW 21 Community Partner Profile: Church Council of Greater Seattle, Living Wage Working Group

Last November marked unprecedented Black Friday events at Walmart stores throughout Washington State. Working with UFCW 21 Organizers, community groups led actions in over 60 Walmarts from Bellingham to Vancouver, Port Angeles to Spokane and just about every one of their stores in-between...

THIS ARTICLE IS FEATURED IN THE UFCW 21 SPRING NEWSLETTER

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Members Stand Up for Their Rights...

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Members Stand Up for Their Rights...

Sam Chase, a worker at the Renton Haggen, was nervous before she stood up to testify in front of state lawmakers. She’d never done that before. While she’s been a Steward at her store, she had never taken on an active speaking role in a more public way. But after she took the leap and testified for paid sick leave and a higher minimum wage she felt great and decided to continue her activist work...

THIS ARTICLE IS FEATURED IN THE UFCW 21 SPRING NEWSLETTER

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