SEATTLE, WA – Members of SEIU 775, the caregivers union, have endorsed fellow healthcare workers, union members, and working people for elected office in the upcoming Washington primary election. The candidates were selected because they are committed to standing for economic justice, racial justice, and a democracy that works for everyone – no exceptions.
SEIU 775 caregivers have chosen to support Black women, women of color, and working people running for legislative, congressional, and statewide positions.
SEIU 775 President Sterling Harders says, “Washington State needs elected officials who will support the people, and SEIU 775 caregivers are proud to endorse a statewide slate that puts essential workers first. Caregivers are often Black women, women of color, and immigrants and we’ve continued to put our clients first during COVID-19 crisis because caregiving is essential, life-saving work. Having elected officials who understand that makes all the difference.”
SEIU International has also endorsed Joe Biden for President of the United States.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how basic rights, like healthcare and jobs with living wages and good benefits, are still out of reach for far too many people and can be ripped away quickly in a crisis. This year has also laid bare so many of the deep-rooted pains we experience as a nation: lack of access to healthcare, structural and systemic racism, and an economy built on the backs of low-wage workers.
The decisions Congress makes in Washington D.C. and legislators make in Olympia impact the quality of caregiver jobs, the opportunities available to our families, and whether our communities have the resources to thrive. We’ve had to fight to get minimum wage, overtime, healthcare, retirement, and more – directly because the laws written to protect workers left caregivers out on purpose. But we have choices about what happens next. We will center equity and justice in what we build by electing working people up and down the ticket who will fight for us.
The full list of SEIU 775 Washington state endorsements can be found at seiu775.org/2020endorsements