Livestreaming all day Tuesday at workingWA.org — workers in Seattle, Spokane, Yakima, Olympia, and across the state demand action from City Hall to the State Capitol and beyond
On Tuesday, workers across Washington State are rising up to set the agenda for elected officials from city halls to the state capital and beyond.... And it's going to be livestreamed all day long on workingWA.org.
Workers are taking action from Spokane to Olympia, Yakima to Seattle, in communities across the state and online because every worker needs a living wage, paid sick days, reliable schedules, and access to hours. And no matter which candidates won which election, all of them need to move worker issues to the top of the agenda at every level of government, from city halls to the state capitol & beyond.
It’s our time —and it’s time for the politicians and corporations to deliver. We need a living wage... and that's just the beginning.
Seattle: 6:30 am
- Who: Coffee workers, fast food workers, healthcare workers, and other underpaid workers
- What: March on fast food and coffee locations to demand reliable schedules and access to hours, then rally with nursing home workers
- When & Where:
- 6:30 am: Workers march from Westlake Park (4th & Pine) to nearby fast food and coffee locations
- 7:00 am: Action near Pike Place Market (1st & Pike)
- 9:00 am: Nursing home workers rally and hold press conference at 215 Columbia Street
Spokane: 9:30 am
- Who: Underpaid homecare workers and community supporters
- What: March and rally for living wages and rights on the job for all workers
- When & Where:
- 9:30 am: March and rally down fast food row on W 3rd Ave from S Washington St to S Monroe St
Yakima: 12:00 pm
- Who: Fast food workers, agricultural workers, warehouse workers, healthcare workers, and other underpaid workers
- What: March to City Hall with more than 1,000 petition signatures for $15
- When & Where:
- 12:00 pm: Rally at Millennial Park (7 South 3rd Street, Yakima)
- 1:00 pm: March to Yakima City Hall (129 N 2nd Street, Yakima)
Olympia: 4:30 pm
- Who: Fast food workers, retail workers, healthcare workers, students, retirees, and other community supporters
- What: Rally downtown, then march to City Hall in support of proposal for $15 & workers rights for Olympia
- When & Where:
- 4:30 pm: Gather at 1010 Plum St, Olympia
- 4:45 pm: March to Olympia City Hall (601 Fourth Avenue East, Olympia), with several stops along the way
- 5:30 pm: Arrive at Olympia City Hall
Streaming online from across the state — stay tuned
Workers will be launching more “It’s Our Time” actions all day long in additional locations across the state. Watch the livestream on workingwa.org or follow us on twitter @workingwa for details of these actions as they happen.
More information:
Income inequality is holding back our economy: corporate profits and CEO salaries are at record levels, but data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 38% of all the workers in our state — more than one million people — are paid less than $15/hour. A million people paid poverty wages in Washington State means a million people who can’t support themselves or contribute to our state’s economy.
When wages are raised, the economy thrives. That’s what's happening in Seattle, where more restaurants are opening than ever and unemployment has been at record lows since passing $15. It just makes sense: when more people have more money, that means more customers for more businesses. That’s how a consumer economy grows.
Workers are rising up on November 10th because after years of record profits, it’s our time to force corporations to provide good jobs & living wages. After years of ignoring what workers need, it’s our time to insist politicians respond to our issues. And after years of growing inequality, it's our time to win living wages and thriving communities across Washington.
We have the power and the numbers to change our political system. A recent national poll of workers paid less than $15/hr showed that:
- 69% of unregistered voters would register to vote if there was a candidate who supported $15/hr and a union
- 76% percent would pledge to vote for candidates who support $15 and a union.
- Across the country, it adds up to 48 million potential voters who could turn out if there were candidates who backed higher pay and union rights.