2016 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

Making Washington Work For All of USUs

Who We Are: As SEIU Local 925 we represent the wide spectrum of education professionals from all
areas of Washington State. We are early learning and family child care professionals, K-12 workers,
higher education employees, educators, and local government/non-profit workers. We are more than
17,000 members united in fighting for education justice and providing quality education and public
services in our communities.

Washington needs new revenue to

fund education

High-quality education requires a highquality workforce

Education from early learning to college is

dangerously underfunded in our state because
Washington corporations do not pay their fair
share.

Family child care providers, K-12 workers, and higher

education employees are key to students having
high-quality learning environments; clean, functioning
schools; safe transportation; healthy meals; and
quality instruction.

Our state has the most regressive revenue

structure in the nation, requiring low- and
middle-income Washingtonians to shoulder the
burden of funding our community and
education investments.

Ensure that fully funding education includes

investing in our K-12 classified staff

Fund the Family Child Care Providers contract

and ensure Early Achievers and other
development tools for education professionals
have sufficient resources, flexibility, and
cultural competency

Insist the University of Washington (UW)

operates under pro-union and democratic
principles by placing a worker on the board of
regents and remaining neutral on faculty
unionization

Increase state investment in UW to lessen

dependence on corporations currently
governing the institution

Invest in UW employees to ensure we remain

a competitive and top-rated institution

While education goes underfunded,

Washington corporations get over $2.3 billion
in tax breaks.

Our 2016 legislative agenda calls for:

-

Fully funding education as required by

the McCleary ruling

A fair and sustainable revenue

system that ensures corporations and
the wealthy pay their fair share for
fully funding education from birth to
college graduation

Investing in, not cutting, important

community programs that help
students and their families to succeed
and thrive

Shared Prosperity Agenda

Our Shared Prosperity Agenda is our big-picture vision developed by labor unions, faith organizations, social justice
advocates and community groups speaking with one voice. Together with our community allies, the Washington State
Labor Council, AFL-CIO will continue to:

Raise the state minimum wage so that all working families can meet basic needs and save for the
future

Implement living wages for education workers from early learning to college

Ensure paid sick days for all workers to keep themselves and their families safe and healthy

Pay Equity Working women in Washington still experience wages unequal to their male counterparts.
The Legislature should promote pay equity and discourage structural discrimination in the work place

Preserve womens rights to make their own reproductive health choices, and fight against pregnancy
discrimination

Advocate for dignified retirement programs for Washingtons senior citizens

Strengthen Medicaid programs which support Washingtons retirees.

Create jobs through the development of much needed infrastructure.

Clean up our communities by supporting common sense environmental protections and support green
energy investments and opportunities.

Champion fair tax and revenue policies that promote the creation of family wage jobs, and treat low
income and middle class families equitably.

Secure the rights of public employees to negotiate for better wages, benefits and safety standards.

Recruit and retain highly qualified state employees through compensation proposals

Invest in safe staffing levels at state hospitals to meet the needs of patients and the public.

Advocate for just treatment for immigrants and new Americans.

Promote voting rights and citizenship.

Guard human rights of our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender sisters and brothers.

Stand with communities of color in the fight against systematic, institutionalized racism on the job and
in our communities.

Prevent attacks on the courts that tip the scales of justice in favor of big corporations.

Uphold apprenticeship as a pathway to stable and secure job opportunities

Oppose predatory payday loans that exploit families experiencing poverty.