Our voice in Olympia: SEIU members interview legislative candidates

Do you support uninterrupted breaks for healthcare workers? What is your plan to support healthcare funding for our patients and clients?

These are the kinds of questions that SEIU 1199NW members asked legislative candidates on Saturday during interviews in the 22nd Legislative district.

Across the state, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW members are interviewing dozens of legislative candidates to recommend those who will stand up for our families and patients, and seek challengers for legislators who didn’t stand up for healthcare services in the last legislative session.

After meeting and interviewing each candidate, members determine the best candidate to recommend to our union’s Executive Board.

By standing together in Olympia and working with our legislators, we’ve successfully passed laws that protect healthcare workers and patients including Safe Lifting, Safe Staffing, and the Marty Smith law to protect mental health workers. We’ve also won funding for our union’s Hospital Employee Education and Training grant, and successfully advocated to limit mandatory overtime for nurses.
“Participating in legislative interviews makes me feel more informed about who I’ll be voting for in November. It’s great to really engage with the candidates and ask them about the issues that matter to us.” Jared Miller, Children’s Case Manager, Behavioral Health Resources

“This experience was eye opening. It’s easy to become frustrated by the political process, but this was such a great opportunity to really see the character of the candidates and share our concerns with them. I would encourage members to attend a candidate interview if they haven’t done one yet.” Mary McNaughton, RN, Stevens Hospital

“These interviews are a chance to see how candidates will stand on our issues and hear about their priorities. We know our voices and resources make a difference to help elect the right candidates.” Sally O’Neill, RN, Swedish Medical Center