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political education

Every election year, the affiliated union organizations that comprise the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, 
vote on which candidates and initiatives to endorse. 
The WSLC then makes every effort to inform union members about these endorsements and why they were made.

 

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Volunteer for Labor Neighbor!

Labor Neighbor is the Washington State Labor Council's grassroots political organizing program where volunteer union members meet and talk to other union members about the candidates and election issues that matter to working families. A big "thank you" to all of the union members who have already volunteered in the pre-primary Labor Neighbor walks. More walks are currently being planned as our activities shift into high gear. Check back here soon for a schedule. For more information or to RSVP, email Lori Province, WSLC Field Mobilization Director, or call her at 206-351-2956. 

In the meantime, phone banks are running and volunteers are needed FROM 5 to 8 P.M. on the following nights at these locations:

MONDAYS

  • LACEY at UA 26 (8501 Zenith Ct. NE)

  • SEATTLE at IAM District 751 (9125 15th Pl. S.)

  • TACOMA at IBEW Local 76 (3049 S. 36th St., #101)

TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS

  • EVERETT at IBEW Local 191 (32701 Hoyt Ave.)

  • LACEY at UA 26 (8501 Zenith Ct. NE)

  • SEATTLE at UFCW Local 21 (5030 1st Ave. S., #202)

  • TACOMA at IBEW Local 76 (3049 S. 36th St., #101)


Download election materials

Download camera-ready fliers comparing candidates in various races and explaining ballot measures. Affiliated unions can also request customized versions of these fliers with their names and logos. Get more information.

 

WSLC election endorsements

Delegates representing the Washington State Labor Council’s 500-plus affiliated unions voted upon endorsements for this fall's election at our COPE (Committee on Political Education) Convention on May 15. Check out the 2010 election endorsements (PDF). Additional endorsements will be made at the WSLC Constitutional Convention in August. For more information, email WSLC Political Director Benjamin Lawver or call him at 206-281-8901.

LINKS to WSLC Reports Today news on specific candidates and initiatives:

►  July 28 -- Seattle Times denies Moscoso endorsement due to union affiliation -- It's hard to imagine a candidate with better credentials than Luis Moscoso, who is seeking a House seat in the 1st Legislative District. And yet, the Seattle Times broke with its own tradition of endorsing two candidates to very deliberately deny him its primary election endorsement. Why? Because he's a union leader.

►  July 6 -- Fall ballots will bring threats, opportunities -- Check out a summary of WSLC endorsements for statewide ballot measures on the ballot this fall.

►  July 1 -- Broad coalition to oppose I-1082 that hurts small business, workers -- A statewide group of small business owners, workers, and community leaders have formed to defeat Initiative 1082, the move by out-of-state insurance giants and the BIAW to scrap Washington's public non-profit workers' compensation system.

►  June 25 -- I-1100: A major threat to public safety that will cost taxpayers -- With the state auditor estimating that teens’ access to hard alcohol will increase by more than 400% if Initiative 1100 passes, a growing coalition of public safety officials and others have denounced I-1100, a proposed measure to privatize liquor sales.

►  June 16 -- Do employers REALLY support Eyman's I-1053? -- The Association of Washington Business announced that its board of directors voted unanimously to support Initiative 1053, Tim Eyman's latest ballot proposal to require a two-thirds super-majority legislative vote for any state revenue increases. But Boeing and Microsoft say they weren't at the AWB board meeting and they have taken no position on I-1053. So who was there? We decided to contact a few dozen of board members representing many of the state's most recognizable companies and organizations. But to date, we have yet to find a single AWB board member who'll admit to being at the May 13 meeting and to voting to endorse I-1053. Read more.

►  May 20 -- Initiative 1082: A hostile takeover by insurance companies -- Initiative 1082 would privatize our state’s public nonprofit workers’ compensation system. See five good reasons why I-1082 would be bad news for injured workers and employers.

►  May 20 -- Campaign for I-1098 tax reform begins -- The WSLC has endorsed Initiative 1098, which will cut taxes on middle-class families while providing stable revenue dedicated to protecting education and health care priorities like K-12 class- size reduction efforts and Basic Health coverage.


Things have changed
After the 2009 legislative session, when labor’s agenda was not only ignored but also attacked by the Democratic majority caucuses, the WSLC's affiliated unions instituted a complete review of the council's political program. One of the key changes adopted was to establish a more comprehensive system of evaluating the performance of incumbent state legislators, given that voting records don’t always explain who is truly advocating for working families or opposing their interests. For a summary of the WSLC's new incumbent evaluation process, check out "Things have changed" by WSLC Political Director Benjamin Lawver.


Check out the 2010 WSLC Legislative Report and Voting Records

The 2010 edition of the Washington State Labor Council’s Legislative Report and Voting Record, which summarizes the fate of legislation affecting Washington's working families in this year's State Legislature, is now available online (in HTML and PDF). Printed copies of the report will be available at the WSLC's COPE Endorsement Convention on Saturday, May 15 (get details) and will be mailed to all affiliated unions. All members of WSLC-affiliated unions may also request a free printed copy of this publication to be mailed to them. Call 206-281-8901 for more information.
 



 

A portion of this website is paid for by the AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education - Political Contributions Committee, with voluntary contributions from union members and their families, and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Copyright © 2010  Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO