Labor Neighbor schedule posted for effort to retain Sen. Schlicher

(Sept. 11, 2013) — The Washington State Labor Council’s 2013 Labor Neighbor program will be laser-focused this fall on the special election in the 26th Legislative District between incumbent state Sen. Nathan Schlicher (D) and Republican challenger Jan Angel. In addition to conducting neighborhood walks to visit union households in the Gig Harbor, Port Orchard and Bremerton areas, union members have the opportunity to volunteer for phone banks both inside and outside that district — from Bellingham to Spokane.

TAKE A STAND!  The WSLC has just posted the Labor Neighbor schedule for these walks and phone banks beginning Tuesday, Sept. 24. Union members are urged to RSVP online to volunteer for specific phone banks and walks. For more information, email WSLC Field Mobilization Director Lori Province or call her at 206-254-4917, or email Pierce County Central Labor Council’s Nathe Lawver or call him at 253-973-3765.

Labor Neighbor is the grassroots member-to-member political action program of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, which is the state’s largest union organization representing some 400,000 rank-and-file union members across the state. The program involves union members engaging fellow union members at their doors or on their phones — or both — about legislative issues of importance to Washington’s working families and explaining why particular candidates earned labor’s endorsement.

Founded in 2001, Labor Neighbor and its army of rank-and-file union volunteers were credited that year with providing the margin of victory in a special legislative election that broke a 49-49 tie in the state House of Representatives. Thanks to that victory, landmark legislation was approved the following year that finally granted full collective bargaining rights to Washington’s state employees.

This year, Labor Neighbor will again be focused on a single special odd-year election.

Sen. Schlicher, who earned labor’s endorsement with a 100% voting record on working family issues, is fighting to retain his seat in the tightly divided Senate. Last session, the Republican Majority Coalition had a 25-24 edge courtesy of two erstwhile Democrats who handed the GOP control of that body in exchange for leadership positions. If Republicans solidify that edge in their well-funded effort to elect Jan Angel, working families can expect more attempts to lower the state minimum wage, to weaken safety nets for injured and laid-off workers, and to restrict the freedom to bargain collectively for better wages and working conditions.

Union members can click here to download a candidate comparison flier in the race.

For more information about Labor Neighbor’s schedule and other opportunities to volunteer, email WSLC Field Mobilization Director Lori Province or call her at 206-254-4917.