On November 29, 2018 I sent the following letter to City Attorney Pete Holmes, urging him to drop all charges against the three clergy arrested while peacefully protesting the new youth jail. Dear Pete Holmes, I am writing to urge you to drop all charges against the three courageous members of the clergy who were […]
I will be voting ‘NO’ today on this proposed contract between Seattle police and the City of Seattle, which I cannot support in its current form. I am a rank and file member of a public sector union, I want to be clear that I support the right of all public sector workers to negotiate […]
I sent out the following news release announcing my plan to vote ‘No” on the Seattle Police Officers Guild contract, in solidarity with numerous community groups and union members calling for police accountability. NEWS RELEASE: Councilmember Sawant Announces She Will Vote Against Seattle Police Officers Guild Contract Sawant supports wage increases but urges Mayor Durkan […]
This morning, more than 40 of my fellow union members and I were proud to stand in solidarity with Seattle’s working people for police accountability. Union Members Stand Against Rollback of Police Accountability in SPOG Contract We, the undersigned Seattle-area union members, fully support fair pay for Seattle police officers. The wage increases their union, […]
Seattle’s emergency medical technicians (EMTs) working at the for-profit American Medical Response (AMR) have been fighting for decent wages and benefits, and against exploitative working conditions. My office, the EMTs, their union Teamsters Local 763, and others in the labor movement forced the City Council to pass a resolution to hold AMR accountable. But rather than […]
Mere weeks after they repealed the Amazon Tax that would have funded affordable housing, the Seattle City Council voted on July 9th to approve a plan to increase electricity rates on working families by about 30% over the next 6 years. Unfortunately, I was the only NO vote. Below are my comments explaining why I […]
On Thursday, May 24th, I co-sponsored the screening of the film “Pinkwashing Exposed: Seattle Fights Back” with the City of Seattle LGBTQ Commission and the Commission for People with Disabilities. In response, Mayor Durkan, the Seattle Times editorial board, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle expressed concern about the film. The Federation argued that the […]
Below is a letter I sent to UW president Ana Mari Cauce on May 31 in support of UAW Local 4121 and the 4,500 academic student employees (ASE’s) at the University of Washington, fighting for a fair contract that provides a living wage and addresses concerns about fees, affordability, healthcare, and workplace protections. In the […]
The following is an excellent statement issued by the Seattle LGBTQ Commission regarding the May 24, 2018 screening of the documentary “Pinkwashing Exposed.” Statement from the Seattle LGBTQ Commission regarding Documentary Screening: Pinkwashing Exposed The Seattle LGBTQ Commission has heard concerns from various individuals and organizations about our upcoming screening of the documentary Pinkwashing […]
On Monday, May 23, the Seattle City Council unanimously adopted a resolution that I put forward in support of UAW Local 4121, which represents 4,500 academic student employees (ASE’s) at the University of Washington fighting for a fair contract that ensures a living wage and addresses concerns about fees, affordability, healthcare, and workplace protections. Below […]