PROTEC17 Workers’ Roundtable (PWR!) gearing up for local election endorsements and more this spring

At the March 20 meeting of the PROTEC17 Worker’s Roundtable (PWR), over 60 members met to strategize about our political priorities for 2025 and to look at ways to mobilize and organize members around policies and issues that impact workers and our communities. 

One of the priority items for the PWR group this spring is holding interviews and making endorsements in key local elections that will directly impact PROTEC17 members, their work, and their families. Some of the 2025 races that the endorsement committee is looking at are: King County Executive, five open seats on the King County Council, Seattle Mayor, Seattle City Council Positions 2, 8, and 9, and City of Tacoma elections. 

In addition to endorsements, the PWR group is looking at ways to support larger efforts to fight back against federal and other attacks on public services, and to mobilize members on policy issues like: housing and homelessness solutions, climate action, dependent care support, and civil rights protections. Across Washington and Oregon, unions are meeting regularly to coordinate against growing threats to workers, including mobilization for International Workers’ Day on May 1, which the PWR group is ready to take on.

At the meeting, members Jeremy Ward (King County), Becca Reilly (City of Seattle) and Rob Foxcurran (City of Seattle) shared their experience with different advocacy efforts. Ward stressed the importance of talking with co-workers about political action efforts in order to make the connection about how policy changes directly impact our work. Reilly shared her experience lobbying lawmakers to help change policy and save union jobs. And Foxcurran talked about how voluntary contributions to the Political Action Committee (PAC) fund are vital to increasing our union’s influence and gaining access to key decision-makers. 

As the PWR group grows and evolves in the coming years, member participation and leadership will be key to our collective ability to make positive change. If you would like to get more involved in our political program – from the endorsement committee and GOTV (voting) efforts, to conducting research and building community partnerships – or if you have interest in running for office yourself! – please contact PROTEC17 Political Director, Mark Watson at mark@protec17.org.