Category: Councilmember Sawant

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Sawant to Host Community Meeting on Affordable Housing

Sawant to Host Community Meeting on Affordable Housing Invites the Public to Comment on Seattle Housing Authority’s Low-Income Rent Increases   Seattle – Councilmember Kshama Sawant will host a town hall meeting to discuss the crisis of affordable housing and the Seattle Housing Authority’s proposal to raise rents for low-income residents. Sawant will focus her...

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Sawant to Host Public Hearing on Energy Rate Hikes

City of Seattle
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9/9/2014

Sawant to Host Public Hearing on Energy Rate Hikes
Invites the Public to Comment on City Light Proposal

SeattleCouncilmember Kshama Sawant will host a public hearing of the Energy Committee regarding the proposed electricity rate increases in the city. According to the City Light Strategic Plan, the estimated average increase is 4.4% for consumers each of the next six years. For working people, this comes on top of the burdens of the economic recession, rising rents, increased gas and food expenses, cuts to basic health and transportation, and other utility rate increases.

Sawant, who serves as Chair of the Council's Energy Committee, will focus her comments on the inequities of Seattle's current energy rates. The biggest corporations are enjoying record profits with historically low taxes, yet pay far less for electricity than residential customers. Based on the average energy rates per kilowatt hour (kWh) for users in 2013, a residential customer is charged $67.28 to operate an 800 kWh per year refrigerator for one year; by comparison, a corporation is charged $43.67 to operate the same appliance. Members of the public are urged to come speak on this important issue.

WHO: 
Councilmember Kshama Sawant, Chair, Energy Committee
Councilmember Sally J. Clark
Councilmember Sally Bagshaw
Councilmember Mike O'Brien
Public

WHAT:
Public Hearing of the Council Energy Committee to discuss electricity rate increases

WHEN:
Thursday, September 11 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

WHERE:
Yesler Community Center – 917 E Yesler Way, Seattle, WA 98122

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[View in Council Newsroom]

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Councilmember Sawant’s Statement on Movement to Expand $15 Minimum Wage to Bellevue and the Rest of Washington State

City of Seattle
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9/10/2014

Councilmember Sawant's Statement on Movement to Expand $15 Minimum Wage to Bellevue and the Rest of Washington State

SEATTLECity Councilmember Kshama Sawant issued the following statement regarding today's rally to bring a $15 minimum wage to the rest of Washington State:

"I stand in solidarity with Seattle’s fast food workers and other workers who will participate in the tremendous actions taking place today. These events come on the heels of the historic victory of $15/hour in Seattle, and the nationwidE walkouts and strikes of last week. This is an action to demand $15/hour statewide and a protest against the despicable attempts by Tim Eyman and the International Franchise Association to overturn 15 in Seattle. Workers should stand together and fight big business, and I congratulate the workers on their courage and determination."

 

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[View in Council Newsroom]

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Sawant to Host Public Hearing on Energy Rate Hikes – Invites the Public to Comment on City Light Proposal

Sawant to Host Public Hearing on Energy Rate Hikes Invites the Public to Comment on City Light Proposal   Seattle – Councilmember Kshama Sawantwill host a public hearing of the Energy Committee regarding the proposed electricity rate increases in the city. According to the City Light Strategic Plan, the estimated average increase is 4.4% for...

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Councilmember Sawant’s Statement on Movement to Expand $15 Minimum Wage to Bellevue and the Rest of Washington State

Councilmember Sawant’s Statement on Movement to Expand $15 Minimum Wage to Bellevue and the Rest of Washington State SEATTLE – City Councilmember Kshama Sawant issued the following statement regarding today’s rally to bring a $15 minimum wage to the rest of Washington State: “I stand in solidarity with Seattle’s fast food workers and other workers...

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Sawant Statement on Underfunding of Education in WA

Sawant Statement on Underfunding of Education in WA McCleary argued before Supreme Court today SEATTLE – Councilmember Kshama Sawant issued the following statement regarding the case heard today in the Washington State Supreme Court about funding for basic education and the 2012 McCleary decision: “Today, the Washington State Supreme Court will hear arguments about whether...

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Councilmember Kshama Sawant’s statement on City Light CEO salary

City of Seattle
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 7/2/2014

Councilmember Kshama Sawant

Councilmember Kshama Sawant's statement on City Light CEO salary

SEATTLE - City Councilmember Kshama Sawant issued the following statement regarding the Mayor's announcement he would not raise the salary of Seattle City Light CEO, Jorge Carrasco:

"In the face of increasing controversy and public outrage, Mayor Murray has decided not to give Jorge Carrasco a raise 'at this time.' This striking reversal is the outcome of strong public pressure on the City's political establishment and a sign of the disgust working people feel about executive excess. The lowest paid workers in Seattle must wait years to achieve even a basic living wage, while a massive raise of up to $120,000 a year was being considered for the highest-paid city employee.

"This reversal is also a direct result of having a socialist elected representative, without which this issue would have been business-as-usual in City Hall. I first brought this issue to attention in committee, and I thank Councilmember Nick Licata for joining me to vote No in Full Council.

"My opposition to Carrasco's salary increase does not imply any support for right-wing rhetoric against the public sector. In fact, working people need to defiantly oppose corporate politicians who condone and promote Wall-Street-style CEO salaries within the public sector. Salaries of all City employees need to be capped at no more than $150,000, and all City workers should be brought up to at least $15/hour immediately. While the City pays me $117,000 as a Councilmember, I keep only $40,000 a year and use the rest to build social justice movements.

"Furthermore, the argument made by Councilmembers that this salary increase to Carrasco was motivated by the need to retain 'talent' is belied by the recent revelations of blatant CEO image-polishing and the copper thefts from City Light.

"This development is yet another example of how having even one independent, working-class fighter in an otherwise thoroughly corporatized political environment can succeed in holding the establishment accountable. Imagine what would be possible if we had more independent left candidates, not just in Seattle, but statewide and nationally."

[View in Council Newsroom]

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Councilmember Kshama Sawant Statement in Support of Minimum Wage Ordinance

City of Seattle
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/2/2014

Councilmember Kshama Sawant

Councilmember Kshama Sawant Statement in Support of Minimum Wage Ordinance

Final Speech As Delivered

SEATTLE - Councilmember Kshama Sawant delivered the following speech today in support of the Council's adoption of a $15 per hour minimum wage:

A half century ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for a living wage at the March on Washington, where a quarter of a million people, mostly black workers, demanded their rights. They called for $2 per hour. In today's dollars, that is the same number we have just won - Dr. King and his movement had launched the first fight for 15, at the same time they fought against the brutal racism of Jim Crow.

With this vote, Seattle will become the first major city in the U.S. to win a $15 per hour minimum wage.

Our victory comes less than six months after the launch of 15 Now, after the election of the first socialist to the city council in 100 years. We built on the work of labor in SeaTac, on the growing movement of the fast food workers which began in New York one year before. We worked alongside organized labor in Seattle, which campaigned continuously for 15.

We forced the city establishment to lift the wages of 100,000 low wage workers in Seattle - to transfer $3 billion from business to workers at the bottom of the wage scale over the next 10 years.

We did this. Workers did this.

Today's first victory for 15 will inspire people all over the nation.

We need to recognize what happened here in Seattle that led us to this point.

15 was not won at the bargaining table as a so-called "sensible compromise" between labor and business. It was not the result of the generosity of corporations or their Democratic Party representatives in government.

What was voted on in the city council was a reflection of what workers and the labor movement won on the street over this last year.

In 15 Now, groups of workers and activists met weekly, held mass conferences and debates, organized rallies, and engaged thousands of people around the city about the need for a living wage. We won the public debate - in a recent poll 74% of voters now support 15. We defeated the arguments of business in the corporate media.

Let this be our guide. At every stage of the struggle, corporations and their representatives have sought to undermine our efforts. And future victories will also depend on the organization of working people fighting for our interests.

This is also why we need an alternative to the two parties representing business. Despite the Democratic Party posing as a progressive alternative to the Republicans - we can see here in Seattle how it was only with the election of a socialist that the establishment was forced to pass real gains for workers. We need many more independent and socialist candidates to turn the tide against corporate politics.

Our victory is not complete, but we have fought until the last day, the last hour, against all the loopholes demanded by business. I thank those councilmembers who voted for my pro-worker amendments.

We'll come back to the questions of tip penalty, the long-phase in, the training wage.

What was lost through corporate loopholes is a reminder to us that outcomes are determined by the balance of forces. It is a reminder that we need to continue to build an even more powerful movement. A movement strong enough to overcome the counterattacks from business. A movement that goes on from 15 to win further gains to address the stunning income inequality workers face - a movement that will fight for rent control, taxes on millionaires & big developers, and full funding for all public services.

I appeal to all workers to join the movement. The attempts of business to undermine 15 will continue, well after this vote today. They may submit legal challenges, they may challenge at the ballot, they may wait for their moment to make the "temporary" tip penalty permanent.

But today's message is clear: If we organize as workers, with a socialist strategy, we can tackle the chasm of income inequality and social injustice.

15 in Seattle is just a beginning. We have an entire world to win.

Solidarity.

[View in Council Newsroom]

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City Council Approves $15/hour Minimum Wage in Seattle

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/2/2014
Councilmember Sally J. Clark
Council President Tim Burgess
Councilmember Sally Bagshaw
Councilmember Jean Godden
Councilmember Bruce Harrell
Councilmember Nick Licata
Councilmember Mike O'Brie...