Despite being the construction crane capital of the nation four years running, Seattle is reeling under an unprecedented affordable housing and homelessness crisis. Rents in Seattle have soared 69% since 2010, and 155% since 1998. With renters accounting for nearly half of Seattleites, the sky-high rents have meant thousands of working families have been pushed […]
Author: Adam Ziemkowski (Adam Ziemkowski)
Our Voices Matter: Pack City Hall for Human Services Meeting
Dear friends: Please join community members, Human Service workers and providers, and me tonight, Feb. 20, at 6:00pm, as the Human Services Committee takes up the resolution directing how the City of Seattle will select its next Human Services Department director: Human Services, Equitable Development, and Renters Rights Committee Wednesday, Feb. 20, 6:00pm Seattle City […]
Holding Elected Officials Accountable to Working People
I was elected and then reelected to the Seattle City Council on the basis of my pledge to unwaveringly use my office to help build movements to win victories for ordinary working people. A recent article from SCC Insight, now happily picked up by the corporate conservative media, argues that pledge is somehow at odds […]
As Strike Looms, My Call on Mayor Durkan to Bring All Emergency Medical Services In-House
In my letter to Mayor Durkan and the other City councilmembers, I challenge them to end “a culture of contracting out our safety net to profiteers” Seattle stands hours away from losing Basic Life Support services as a result of a toxic combination of big business greed and a corporate political establishment that uses contracting […]
Statement in Solidarity with Strike Call by EMTs, Calling Out City Establishment’s Callous Indifference
On December 11, I sent a message to Mayor Durkan expressing solidarity with Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), members of Teamsters Local 763, who recently announced plans to go on strike, and urging her to support EMTs in their demand for better pay, healthcare, and working conditions. Dear Mayor Durkan: Your administration recently granted a monopoly […]
Solidarity Statement with WFSE 3488 UW Laundry Workers
Thursday December 6, 2018 Dear members of WFSE Local 3488 and all union members at the University of Washington, For years, members of WFSE Local 3488 have diligently and with dedication cleaned the linens and hospital scrubs for University of Washington-run medical facilities. Your work is difficult but essential to providing a clean, safe environment […]
Letter Urging Pete Holmes to Drop the Charges Against Peaceful No New Youth Jail Protesters
On November 29, 2018 I sent the following letter to City Attorney Pete Holmes, urging him to drop all charges against the three clergy arrested while peacefully protesting the new youth jail. Dear Pete Holmes, I am writing to urge you to drop all charges against the three courageous members of the clergy who were […]
My Speech while Voting ‘NO’ on the Seattle Police Officers Guild Contract
I will be voting ‘NO’ today on this proposed contract between Seattle police and the City of Seattle, which I cannot support in its current form. I am a rank and file member of a public sector union, I want to be clear that I support the right of all public sector workers to negotiate […]
NEWS RELEASE: Councilmember Sawant Announces She Will Vote Against Seattle Police Officers Guild Contract
I sent out the following news release announcing my plan to vote ‘No” on the Seattle Police Officers Guild contract, in solidarity with numerous community groups and union members calling for police accountability. NEWS RELEASE: Councilmember Sawant Announces She Will Vote Against Seattle Police Officers Guild Contract Sawant supports wage increases but urges Mayor Durkan […]
Union Members Stand Against Rollback of Police Accountability in SPOG Contract
This morning, more than 40 of my fellow union members and I were proud to stand in solidarity with Seattle’s working people for police accountability. Union Members Stand Against Rollback of Police Accountability in SPOG Contract We, the undersigned Seattle-area union members, fully support fair pay for Seattle police officers. The wage increases their union, […]