Resolution Calling for Democrats to Support Union Picket Lines

May 15, 2024

WHEREAS, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, 6,000 United Auto Workers (“UAW”) 4121 members, Academic Student Employees at the University of Washington (“UW”) went out on strike; and

WHEREAS, UAW Political Director Emily Myers sent emails to all groups hosting events on the UW campus asking them to reschedule their events and honor their picket lines; and

WHEREAS, several King County Legislative District Democratic Organizations (“LDs”), in collaboration with the Young Democrats of UW, previously scheduled a candidate forum at the UW unfortunately coinciding the same day as the strike; and

WHEREAS, the Chairs of the 43rd Legislative District Democrats and 46th Legislative District Democrats, Paul Chapman, and Hunter Brown, respectively, rebuffed the request of UAW 4121 to move their candidate forum to an alternative location, so as not to cross the active picket lines; and

WHEREAS, MLK Labor delegate Ry Armstrong (SAG-AFTRA), who is in leadership at their local Democratic LD, advocated for the LD to respect the picket line and move the forum fully online; and

WHEREAS, MLK Labor Executive Secretary-Treasurer Katie Garrow sent a letter to the local Chairs asking that they move their forum online to respect the picket line; and

WHEREAS, eventually, the 46th LD Chair proposed a vote on whether to honor the picket line and the Young Democrats of UW and 46th Vice Chair Lisa Rivera Smith worked to move the forum fully online with technical help from Ry Armstrong and Sophia Lee of the 43rd last minute; and

WHEREAS, union members nationally are more likely to be Democrats; and

WHEREAS, all delegates of MLK Labor take an oath to respect picket lines;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED,  that MLK Labor will send all King County LD Chairs a letter requesting that they honor union picket lines and pass resolutions committing to do so; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that MLK Labor notify Washington State Democratic Party Chair Shasti Conrad to make her aware of the situation; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that MLK Labor will offer to host trainings for LDs about the importance and sanctity of the labor movement’s slogan, “An injury to one is an injury to all.”