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‘We Out Here!’ celebration of diverse leaders will be Feb. 25

TUKWILA, Wash. — The A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI), Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), and the Racial Justice and Diversity committees of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO are proud to announce “We Out Here!” 

This celebration of diverse labor leadership, in honor of and in solidarity with AFL-CIO Constituency Groups during Black History Month will be held Saturday, Feb. 25 starting at 7 p.m. at the Teamsters Hall, 14675 Interurban Ave. S. in Tukwila. “We Out Here!” will have food and drinks from around the world, music and a dance floor — an evening filled with joy and justice. RSVP here to attend.

“We know that anything that divides our solidarity is a threat to our movement, and to working people’s wellbeing,” said Kasi Marita Perreira, WSLC Director of Racial and Gender Justice. “We’re seeing immense enthusiasm for organized labor, especially among younger workers from increasingly diverse generations. To support current and future union members, to be a welcoming home and an effective movement for building worker power, we must understand that people closest to the problem are also closest to the solution.”

Due to the generosity of local labor unions that support and are sponsoring the event, “We Out Here!” is FREE for attendees and includes the cost of membership to one local constituency group. There will be a surprise for people who join ALL of our co-sponsoring organizations (be sure to select your local chapter):

●  APRI sign-up (Seattle)
●  APALA sign-up (Seattle)
●  CBTU sign-up (Puget Sound)
●  LCLAA sign-up (Pacific Northwest)

All are invited to attend this space centering Black and brown working people. All allies are also invited to volunteer to support this event. Join our growing list of generous local union sponsors: Teamsters 117, WA State Building and Construction Trades Council, IBEW Local 46 and SEIU Healthcare 1199NW! Contact Perreira at kperreira@wslc.org with questions or to help sponsor “We Out Here!”

As past and present generations fight to free ourselves from violence against Black people, attacks on API communities and “othering” of working people based on how we look, where we are from, or who we love – we offer some additional ways to be in community with our local labor movement in the coming month:

Feb. 1 — National APALA will be hosting a virtual healing space for all APALA members to come together to discuss the tragedies that happened last week in Half Moon Bay and Monterey Park, CA. By coming together, we can process our collective heartbreak and collaborate around addressing violence in our communities. Join us on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 5 p.m. on Zoom. PLEASE NOTE: this space is intended for individuals who identify as AAPI. Register here to join via Zoom.

Feb. 2 — At the WSLC Legislative Reception in Olympia, there will be a special event Thursday evening hosted by WA Young Emerging Labor Leaders (WA YELL) Learn more here.

Feb. 7 — The National Black Law Students Assoc. and the AFL-CIO Union Lawyers Alliance will present “Labor Lawyers Fight for Racial and Economic Justice,” an online forum via Zoom from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7.  Get details and to register.

Feb. 20 — APRI Seattle Charles Roland African American Legislative Day – Monday, Feb. 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Zoom. Register at www.apriseattle.org.

Feb. 27Stayed on Freedom: The Long History of Black Power through One Family’s Journey, a new book by University of Washington-Bothell Professor and historian Dan Berger, provides the life stories of Zoharah Simmons and Michael Simmons, two unheralded Black Power activists who dedicated their lives to the fight for freedom. Join Dan Berger, Michael Simmons, and WSLC Secretary Treasurer Cherika Carter on Monday, Feb. 27 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the WSLC Seattle Office, 321 16th Ave S. in Seattle. Get details.

Please join in solidarity to support the working class struggle of all workers in our communities. RSVP now to “We Out Here!” on Feb. 25.

CHECK OUT THE UNION DIFFERENCE in Washington: higher wages, affordable health and dental care, job and retirement security.

FIND OUT HOW TO JOIN TOGETHER with your co-workers to negotiate for better wages, benefits, and a voice at work. Or go ahead and contact a union organizer today!