Dear 4121 member,
Ballots for the general election were mailed out on Wednesday, and ballots need to be postmarked by Election Day November 7 or returned to a ballot dropbox by 8pm November 7. If you’re an new voter, you can still register in-person with King Co. Elections through October 30.
Please remember to vote – there are a number of important races with numerous candidates running. Below are UAW’s recommendations. Through our political workgroup, members identified important issues – investment in education, worker protections, housing affordability, transportation, race and equity, and climate justice – assembled questionnaires, reviewed candidate responses and their records, conducted candidate interviews, and held a membership straw poll for a couple of races. The result is a strong slate that, if elected, will fight for issues most important to us.
Seattle Municipal Elections
Lorena González: Seattle city council pos. 9 (citywide)
UAW 4121 again endorsed Councilmember González for her commitment to standing with University of Washington workers in making the University (the city’s largest employer) comply with city law and labor protections, for her advocacy of a Seattle legal defense fund for immigrants and refugees, for her successful advocacy with Councilmember Lisa Herbold of scheduling protections for Seattle workers, and for her plans to push for a paid family leave policy for the state or the city.
Jon Grant & Teresa Mosqueda (dual): Seattle city council pos. 8 (citywide)
UAW 4121 almost never does dual endorsements, which testifies to the high quality of both candidates, the equal support for both in our July straw poll, and the histories of both in working in city and state coalitions with Local 4121 for justice for labor, housing, and/or health care.
WA State Elections
Manka Dhingra: WA Senate LD 45 (Kirkland, Duvall, Sammamish)
This is the most important & competitive state race of 2017. The threat of a state government shutdown has been a biennial tradition in the state of Washington since 2013, posing an unacceptable threat of disruption to many state employees & services, including vital health care, food-provision, environmental conservation, etc. The two major causes for this recurrence of the ridiculous are the state’s regressive, insufficient tax structure and the intransigence of the WA Senate. The election of Dhingra to the Senate would swing control of the Senate and hopefully end this consistent threat of a shutdown. Dhingra is willing to pursue some progressive taxation measures like capital gains and pollution taxes. Her platform includes strong support for criminal justice alternatives, mental health care, education funding, public mass transit extension, and infrastructure repair.
Karen Hardy: WA Senate LD7 (NE corner of the state)
Susan Swanson: WA House LD 7
Michelle Rylands: WA Senate LD 31 (parts of SE King Co)
Nate Lowry: WA House LD 31
Rebecca Saldaña: WA Senate LD 37 (Beacon Hill, CD, Columbia City, Renton)
Patty Kuderer: WA Senate LD 48 (Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland)
Olympia needs more strong advocates to ensure that the state legislature meets its constitutional obligation for fully funding public education and to push for further action on UAW 4121 member priorities: climate change mitigation, gender pay equity, defense of immigrant rights, housing affordability and justice, reforming the state’s regressive tax system with new progressive revenue streams, universal access to health care, including mental health care, etc. These candidates, some new, some returning, would fight those battles.
King Co Elections
Dow Constantine: King Co exec
Executive Constantine is seeking his third term. He has been a strong supporter of public mass transit, housing affordability, and a County rapid response fund to help protect immigrant & refugee rights from immigration enforcement and hate crimes. His opponent is an unserious foe of Eastside lightrail expansion.
Any questions or comments? Email uaw4121@uaw4121.org
In solidarity,
UAW Local 4121 Bargaining Committee and Political Work Group