Political Action
Whether we like it or not, politics plays a huge role in our lives. And especially as public employees, lawmakers at every level make decisions that impact whether our jobs will be funded, our retirement plans will remain solvent, or whether we can take time off to care for a sick loved one.
PROTEC17 members advocate for laws and policies at the city, county and state level that support our members and their families. In addition, we have a political action committee (PAC) that makes endorsements for worker-friendly candidates. The PAC is funded through voluntary donations — NEVER DUES MONEY.
2021 Election Endorsements
The PROTEC17 Political Action Committee (PAC) has completed their candidate interviews and endorsement process for the 2021 election cycle. Below you’ll find our list of our endorsements. If you are a member who would like more information on the PAC, please reach out to our Political Director, Brandon Hersey.
- Lorena González, City of Seattle Mayor
- Teresa Mosqueda, City of Seattle Position 8
- Nikita Oliver, City of Seattle Position 9
- Hamdi Mohamed, Port of Seattle Commissioner Position 3
- Toshiko Hasegawa, Port of Seattle Commissioner Position 4
- Dow Constantine, King County Executive
- Rod Dembowski, King County District 1
- Sarah Perry, King County District 3
- Dave Upthegrove, King County District 5 (dual endorsement)
- Shukri Olow, King County District 5 (dual endorsement) (a PROTEC17 member!)
- Saudia Abdullah, King County District 7
- Kim Khanh-Van, King County District 9
- Judge Andrea Robertson, King County Superior Court
- Naghmana Sherazi, City of Spokane District 1, Position 2 (a former PROTEC17 member!)
- Lacrecia Hill, City of Spokane District 3, Position 2
- Kaylee Galloway, Whatcom County Council District 1
- Rebecca Lewis, Whatcom County Council District 3
- Kate Akuyz, Mercer Island City Council (a PROTEC17 member!)
Political Action Committee
Our 2021 political endorsement program took place this past summer, with our member-lead Political Action Committee (PAC) interviewing dozens of candidates. This unique opportunity allowed PROTEC17 members to share the work we do with political candidates, as well as showed our support to those who are committed to supporting working people and their families. If you have questions or are interested in participating on the Political Action Committee (PAC) in the future, please reach out to our Political Director, Brandon Hersey.
2021 WA State Legislative Report
Click the link below to find a summary of the legislation that was passed during the 2021 Washington State legislative session that aligned with PROTEC17’s priorities — click on the graphic on the left for more details.
2021 Washington Legislative Report
2021 Oregon Bills & Positions
HB 3029: Signed authorizations designating exclusive bargaining representation
SUPPORT. HB 3029 would allow electronic signatures for union elections. PROTEC17 and our Labor partners submitted written testimony about the difficulty of organizing during the COVID-19 pandemic because of the requirement for a physical signature.
SB 412: Expedited Bargaining – Rebalancing Collective Bargaining
SUPPORT. This bill adds binding arbitration after 90 days as a resolution for interim bargaining. This is already in place for police, fire, and other non-strike units, but would add it for others. Several employers have a notorious reputation for holding items out of regular cycle bargaining so they can force them through the expedited bargaining process.
HB 2205: Just Enforcement Act
SUPPORT. OR has great laws on the books protecting employees, but the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) staff have been chronically under funded and the department is not able to enforce the existing laws. This Act empowers workers to enforce laws when BOLI lacks the resources or will to enforce, specifically by allowing individuals or groups (like unions) to file lawsuits on behalf of the state if the state fails to respond to a complaint. A portion of the penalites would be awarded to the workers and a portion would be awarded to the Agency.