Politics + Activism

SEIU6 ENDORSEMENTS 2021

Posted on June 17, 2021 by Eric Amundson

The SEIU6 Political Committee recommends the following candidates, approved by the SEIU6 Executive Board.

Seattle

Seattle Mayor Lorena González

Seattle City Council Position 8 Teresa Mosqueda

Seattle City Council Position 9 Brianna Thomas

Seattle City Council Position 9 Nikkita Oliver

King County

King County Executive Dow Constantine

King County Council Position 3 Sarah Perry

King County Council Position 5 Dave Upthegrove

King County Council Position 9 Ubax Gardeheere

King County Hospital District 1 Monique Taylor-Swan

King County Ballot Initiative — Best Start for Kids Approve

Spokane

Spokane City Council Position 2 Betsy Wilkerson

Spokane City Council Position 3 Zachary Zappone

Tacoma

Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards

Port of Seattle

Port of Seattle Commissioner Position 1 Ryan Calkins

Port of Seattle Commissioner Position 3 Hamdi Mohamed

Port of Seattle Commissioner Position 4 Toshiko Hasegawa

SEIU6 Statement on the Conviction of Derek Chauvin for the Murder of George Floyd

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Eric Amundson

SEIU6 Statement on the Conviction of Derek Chauvin for the Murder of George Floyd

SEIU6 stands in solidarity with the family of George Floyd, the community of Minneapolis, and the millions of people worldwide who took action to protest Mr. Floyd’s murder, as we share a moment of relief in Derek Chauvin being held accountable for taking Mr. Floyd’s life.

We recognize that this is less than justice. Justice for George Floyd would mean he was never murdered in the first place. We recognize that Chauvin’s guilty verdict is too rare—he is one of just 8 police officers who has faced a murder conviction since 2005, while police kill nearly 1,000 people every year. We recognize that this guilty verdict would have been even less likely were it not for the bravery of Darnella Frazier, who, at 17 years old, filmed Floyd’s murder on her phone, and the mass mobilization of millions of us who took to the streets last summer to cry out for an end to police violence.

We also recognize that this moment of relief is too short, as we reel from the daily pain of police murdering Black and brown people, like 13-year-old Adam Toledo, and 15-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant, children who deserved to live out their childhoods, and grow up to be adults.

We’re still bracing ourselves against the escalation of violence on our Asian community members. And we’re still angry at the inequity of a system that sends Black, brown, and immigrant workers out to work in a pandemic in jobs that pay the least, expose them to the most risk, and that are essential to our society’s functioning.

We must believe that it won’t always be this way. We must continue to reimagine our futures, and the ways we can take care of each other. We must imagine an end to white supremacy, a more just world than the one racial capitalism dictates, and a society where all of us—all races, all genders, all abilities, all nationalities, can be safe, can be free, can thrive.

April 22, 2021

SEIU6 CALLS ON STATE TO EXTEND VACCINE ELIGIBILITY TO ALL ESSENTIAL WORKERS

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Eric Amundson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: esroka@seiu6.org

SEIU6 CALLS ON STATE TO EXTEND VACCINE ELIGIBILITY TO ALL ESSENTIAL WORKERS

As Washington State expands vaccine eligibility next week, essential janitors and security officers will once again be left off the list. While SEIU6 has partnered with the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) to appeal to Governor Inslee and the State Department of Health to expedite access for these workers, janitors and security officers are being told to wait.

Representing a largely immigrant, majority BIPOC workforce, SEIU6 understands vaccine access as a racial justice and immigrant rights issue. The same workforce that’s been called upon to report to work every day to clean and protect commercial buildings during a pandemic has been denied early protection against the virus.

“It’s hard to be told to wait your turn when we’ve been on the frontlines of this pandemic since day one. Every day, we leave our families to clean and sanitize essential businesses. Many of us take the bus to work, and a lot of us face crowded break rooms and lax safety standards. At the end of the day, you’re just praying you don’t catch it and bring it back to your family. We’ve been feeling this stress for more than a year. We need this vaccine yesterday.” —Ambar Arellano, Janitor and SEIU6 Executive Board Member

Security officers, many of whom have taken on additional duties including mask enforcement and COVID screenings, continue to wait for vaccine access.

“I can’t stress how important it is for security officers to get vaccinated. Just to breathe that sigh of relief after one year of putting our families in jeopardy, going out every day to do this job. The second I’m eligible, I’m going to be in that line.” —Demetrus Dugar, Security Officer and SEIU6 Executive Board Member

SEIU6 airport workers are included in the current phase of vaccine eligibility. After a year of disproportionately high COVID-19 rates in Black and brown communities, many Sea-Tac passenger service workers are taking steps to get vaccinated.

“It’s been a stressful year at Sea-Tac with too many workers crowded together, too many coworkers getting sick with COVID. We’re grateful we have the vaccine now and we want all essential workers to have the same.” —Edwin Gomez, Sea-Tac Airport Worker

“We appreciate all that Governor Inslee and the Department of Health have done to keep Washington safe during this pandemic. We know that their handling of this crisis has saved the lives of countless Washingtonians, and that their vaccination plan aims to do the same. But we’re calling on them to expand access to essential workers of all ages immediately, because these are the communities who have been hit the hardest, not just by COVID infection and mortality rates, but by the stress of providing for your family as an underpaid essential worker during this pandemic. These are the folks who have kept the lights on for the rest of Washington.” —SEIU6 President Zenia Javalera

opeiu8/afl-cio

SEIU6 August 2020 Primary Election Endorsements

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Eric Amundson

The SEIU6 Executive Board is proud to announce our endorsements for the following candidates.

Position	Candidate
Governor	Jay Inslee
Secretary of State	Gael Tarleton
Treasurer	Mike Pelliciotti
10th Congressional Dist	Kristine Reeves
LD 5 House	Bill Ramos
LD 10 House	Suzanne Woodard
LD 19 Senate	Dean Takko
LD 21 House	Strom Peterson
LD 21 House	Lillian Ortiz-Self
LD 23 House	Tarra Simmons
LD 25 Senate	Julie Door
LD 26 House	Carrie Hesch
LD 28 House	Dan Bronoske
LD 30 House	Jamila Taylor
LD 30 House	Jesse Johnson
LD 31 House	Cindy Ryu
LD 35 House	Darcy Huffman
LD 36 House	Liz Berry
LD 37 House	Chukundi Salisbury
LD 37 House	Kirsten Harris-Talley
LD 38 House	Emily Wicks
LD 41 House	My-Linh Thai
LD 43 House	Nicole Macri
LD 43 House	Frank Chopp
LD 47 House	Pat Sullivan
LD 48 House	Vandana Slatter
LD 49 House	Sharon Wylie
LD 49 House	Monica Jurado Stonier

August 2019 Endorsements

Posted on July 17, 2019 by Eric Amundson

Here are the SEIU6 Executive Board endorsements for the 2019 Primary. You should see your ballot in the mail very soon, if you haven’t already! Please reach out to us if you’re worried about not receiving your ballot, and we will help you get it replaced.

Ride the Wave! Recapping the 2018 Election and SEIU6-Endorsed Candidates

Posted on December 13, 2018 by Eric Amundson

The results are in, and certified by the state!

We’re proud to report that of the 56 candidates we endorsed for the Washington state legislature, 47 won! Another two are down by so few votes that the races are going to a recount.

Here’s a list of all of our winning statewide and federal endorsements. Thanks to everyone who worked hard with us to elect champions of working people!

We’re excited to work with the state and federal public servants to advance rights for immigrants and workers, here in Washington state as well as nationwide.

Midterm Endorsements – Nov 6, 2018

Posted on October 12, 2018 by Eric Amundson

Click for a larger image of the endorsements, or scroll below for the endorsements in text.

The SEIU6 Executive Board endorsements for the 2018 General Midterm Election on November 6 are here!

The SEIU6 Political Committee is a council of members who interviews, endorses, and works for candidates who work for us. With the Political committee’s guidance, the SEIU6 Executive Board has endorsed a record number of 60 candidates running for office. During the months of September, October, and November, our member-led political team has registered members and their families to vote, identified other voters, and are making sure they vote on the upcoming election on November 6.

The Political Committee is proud to share their endorsements, included below, with their union sisters and brothers. Please share these endorsements with your friends and family, and urge every voter you know to vote in the November mid-terms!

You should see your ballot in mid-October! Please reach out to us if you’re worried about not receiving your ballot, and we will help you get it replaced.

For your convenience, the endorsements are included both in image and text form. You can find your legislative district here.

If you have any questions, please contact Political Director Mauricio Ayon at 206-448-7348.

Endorsements

YES on I-1631

YES on I-940

3rd Congressional District

Carolyn Long

5th Congressional District

Lisa Brown

7th Congressional District

Pramila Jayapal

8th Congressional District

Dr. Kim Schrier

3rd Legislative District

Timm Ormsby – State Representative, Pos. 2

5th Legislative District

Bill Ramos – State Representative, Pos. 1

Lisa Callan – State Representative, Pos. 2

6th Legislative District

Dave Wilson – State Representative, Pos. 2

11th Legislative District

Zack Hudgins – State Representative, Pos. 1

Steve Bergquist – State Representative, Pos. 2

17th Legislative District

Tanisha Harris – State Representative, Pos. 1

18th Legislative District

Kathy Gillespie – State Representative, Pos. 2

21st Legislative District

Strom Peterson – State Representative, Pos. 1

Lillian Ortiz-Self – State Representative, Pos 2

Marko Liias – State Senate

22nd Legislative District

Laurie Dolan – State Representative, Pos 1.

Beth Doglio – State Representatve, Pos. 2

23rd Legislative District

Sherry Appleton – State Representative, Pos. 1

25th Legislative District

Brian Duthie – State Representative, Pos. 1

26th Legislative District

Emily Randall – State Senator

27th Legislative District

Laurie Jinkins – State Representative, Pos. 1

Jake Fey – State Representative, Pos. 2

28th Legislative District

Mari Leavitt – State Representative, Pos. 1

Christine Kilduff – State Representative, Pos. 2

29th Legislative District

Melanie Morgan – State Representative, Pos. 1

30th Legislative District

Mike Pellicciotti – State Representative, Pos. 1

Kristine M. Reeves – State Representative, Pos. 2

Claire Wilson – State Senate

31st Legislative District

Victoria Mena – State Representative, Pos. 1

Immaculate Ferreria – State Senator

33rd Legislative District

Tina Orwall – State Representative, Pos. 1

Mia Su-Ling Gregerson – State Representative, Pos. 2

Karen Keiser – State Senator

34th Legislative District

Eileen Cody – State Representative, Pos. 1

Joe Fitzgibbon – State Representative, Pos. 2

Joe Nguyen – State Senator

35th Legislative District

Irene Bowling – State Senate

36th Legislative District

Noel Christina Frame – State Representative, Pos. 1

37th Legislative District

Rebecca Saldaña – State Senator

38th Legislative District

Mike Sells – State Representative, Pos. 2

John McCoy – State Senate

39th Legislative District

Ivan Lewis – State Representative, Pos. 1

40th Legislative District

Jeff Morris – State Representative, Pos. 1

41st Legislative District

My-Linh Thai – State Representative, Pos. 2

42nd Legislative District

Justin Boneau – State Representative, Pos. 1

Sharon Shewmake – State Representative, Pos. 2

43rd Legislative District

Nicole Macri – State Representative, Pos. 1

Frank Chopp – State Representative, Pos. 2

44th Legislative District

John Lovick – State Representative, Pos. 1

Jared Mead – State Representative, Pos. 2

Steve Hobbs – State Senator

46th Legislative District

Gerry Pollet – State Representative, Pos. 1

Javier Valdez – State Representative, Pos. 2

David Frockt – State Senate

47th Legislative District

Debra Entenman – State Representative, Pos. 1

Pat Sullivan – State Representative, Pos. 2

Mona Das – State Senator

48th Legislative District

Patty Kuderer – State Senator

49th Legislative District

Sharon Wylie – State Representative, Pos. 1

Monica Stonier – State Representative, Pos. 2

August 2018 Endorsements

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Eric Amundson

Here are the SEIU6 Executive Board endorsements for the 2018 Primary. You should see your ballot in the mail very soon, if you haven’t already! Please reach out to us if you’re worried about not receiving your ballot, and we will help you get it replaced.

Joint Statement on ICE Targeting Activist Maru Mora-Villalpando

Posted on February 8, 2018 by Eric Amundson

Issued: February 8, 2018

SEIU6, SEIU 925, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, and SEIU 775 Statement on ICE Targeting Activist Maru Mora-Villalpando

SEATTLE— SEIU6 President Sergio Salinas, SEIU 925 President Karen Hart, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW President Diane Sosne, and SEIU 775 President David Rolf issued the following statement after ICE opened deportation proceedings against Activist Maru Mora-Villalpando:

“Maru Mora-Villalpando stands at the forefront of a movement that has brought public awareness to the cruelties suffered by immigrant families at the hands of the detention and deportation system here in Washington State. Her work has inspired hunger strikes at Tacoma’s Northwest Detention Center, and a lawsuit filed by Washington’s Attorney General against Geo Group, the corporate owner of NWDC, for paying detainees who work in its facility just $1 a day. After 25 years of living in the U.S. and dedicating her life to immigrant justice, ICE has put Mora-Villalpando in deportation proceedings, threatening to separate her from her 20-year-old U.S.-born daughter.

“The SEIU family recognizes ICE’s actions as an intimidation tactic meant to silence a powerful voice that speaks out on behalf of our immigrant brothers and sisters. We stand with Mora-Villalpando and her daughter in denouncing ICE’s actions and demanding that the agency cease its retaliatory measures against immigrant activists in Washington State and across the nation.”

# # #

SEIU6 President Sergio Salinas

SEIU 925 President Karen Hart

SEIU Healthcare 1199NW President Diane Sosne

SEIU 775 President David Rolf

Contact:

Erin Sroka, Strategic Communications Associate

SEIU6 – Property Services NW

esroka@seiu6.org, 206-475-0583

SEIU6 General Election Endorsements

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Eric Amundson