Week of Worker Power

Working people are organizing all over Washington. Here’s a recap of the week, plus opportunities to plug into this coming week’s actions. 

WASHINGTON STATE (October 4, 2024) — 33,000 Machinists are on strike, the election is a month away, and fall’s arrival has done nothing to dampen worker organizing for better contracts and quality working conditions. Working people are joining together, uniting to use our power to improve the lives of our fellow workers and ourselves. Here’s some of this week’s work.

Saturday brought a crowd to the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle to rally in support of Teamster-represented brewers at Elysian Brewing. (Previously at The STAND: ‘No micro pay for micro brewers’)

From there, some rally goers headed to the Machinists’ picket line at the South Seattle Boeing facility, joining both Machinists as well as supporters from other unions.

Members, retirees, and staff of ILWU, Teamsters, and UAW pose for a photo on the Machinist picket line. Not pictured: OPEIU and SPEEA members. Photo: WSLC

Also on Saturday, working people gathered in Lakewood to knock doors for WSLC endorsed candidates State Sen. T’wina Nobles and State Reps. Dan Bronoske and Mari Leavitt.

Volunteers pose for a photo with candidates Nobles, Bronoske and Leavitt. Photo: WSLC

On Wednesday, postal workers with the American Postal Workers Union rallied in Seattle and Spokane to raise awareness of their fight for improved service and improved staffing, two demands that go hand-in-hand.

Postal workers rally at the Seattle SODO branch. Photo: WSLC

The union reports that, “With the exception of the special provisions being applied to election mail, mail service has been noticeably slower for millions of customers due to postal management’s poor implementation of its plan to modernize mail facilities and its move to ship much of the nation’s mail and packages to distant processing centers.” The workers are fighting for more public input as well, noting that USPS is a public service we all are invested in.

Thursday brought working people together in solidarity with Teamsters at Bloodworks NW, where management has failed to engage with the workers on a contract, dragging negotiations out for more than 10 months.

Throughout the week — and since the start of the strike — local unions have been adopting Machinist picket lines. Members and staff of other Boeing unions like SPEEA have been on the lines nearly every day.

SPEEA members and officers, including President John Dimas on the Everett strike line with Machinists during their lunch break. Photo: SPEEA

But members from unions in different sectors have been stepping up too, like AFT WA, IBEW 46, IUPAT District Council 5, OPEIU 8, SEIU 6, SEIU 925, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, Teamsters 117 and UAW Region 6.

33,000 workers are on strike, but thousands more are by the strikers’ side, walking the lines, donating supplies, supporting strike kitchens, and supporting the IAM hardship fund.

Members of IBEW 46 walk the line with Machinists and supporters in Renton. Photo: IBEW 46

Working people have momentum and leverage right now to win life-changing gains, whether that’s using our power online to back-up workers fighting for better wages (shoutout Noisy Union!) or hitting the streets to walk a picket line (shoutout to the UW Harry Bridges Center!) or talk to fellow union members about what’s at stake this election.

Our movement is people-powered, and working people are energized. Here’s how you can plug into the work this coming week:

1. Knock doors with Labor Neighbor: we’re in Gig Harbor this Saturday supporting Emily Randall, Adison Richards and Tiffiny Mitchell. Sign up here.
2. Join Machinists on the picket line: as the weather turns, backing our siblings up on the line is all the more important. Park at a Strike HQ and hop in a shuttle to a line (list of Strike HQs and more ways to support). Pickets run 24/7.
3. “Fun-bank” with Labor Neighbor: this is an excellent remote option for getting engaged. Join virtual phone banks making calls to fellow union members sharing the importance of voting this election, complete with scripts and a supportive Zoom space. Sign up here.

Did we miss an action? Got one coming up you’d like us to promote? Email the Entire Staff of The STAND at stucker@wslc.org.