Building Service Workers’ Union also endorses full slate in other primary races
BOSTON — 32BJ SEIU members in Massachusetts have voted to endorse a slate of candidates in the upcoming September 1 Democratic primary, including five candidates running for open seats and seven incumbents vying for re-election. Earlier, the union announced its strong endorsement for the reelection of Senator Ed Markey, a champion for working people, immigrants and a clean environment, whom members are supporting with a vigorous phone banking campaign. The following statement may be attributed to Roxana Rivera, Vice President of 32BJ SEIU and head of the union in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
“After careful interviews and deliberation, our members have chosen to endorse a slate of a dozen candidates in the September 1 Democratic primary who we know will work to represent the interests of all working people. We are proud to offer our continued support to State Representatives Christine Barber, Michelle DuBois, Adrian Madaro, Liz Miranda and Frank Moran, to State Senator Rebecca Rausch and to U.S. Congressman Richard Neal. All of these elected officials are well known to our members as champions who will continue to fight hard to lift up those suffering from the devastating pandemic, systemic racism, and a rigged economy.
“Our members also chose to endorse five candidates in open races located in districts where many of our 20,000 janitors, security officers and other property service workers live and work.
Former Boston City Councilor Rob Consalvo would make an excellent State Representative for the 14th District, which includes Hyde Park, Roslindale and parts of West Roxbury. His tenure as Chief of Staff for the Boston City Schools and his service on the City Council have proven his ability to tackle difficult issues fairly and compassionately, and his support for a millionaires’ tax, collective bargaining rights, and bills like the Safe Communities Act and the Work and Family Mobility Act demonstrate his commitment to a just society.
We are proud to support Joe Gravellese in his bid to become the next State Representative for the 16th District, which includes portions of Chelsea, Revere and Saugus. This Revere native has demonstrated his commitment to the growing diversity of his district as an aide both at the State House and in Revere City Hall, championing measures such as emergency paid sick time, collective bargaining rights, affordable housing, and protection against climate change.”
As a former third-grade teacher, a public defender, and Mattapan non-profit leader, Brandy Fluker Oakley has the wide-ranging experience necessary to represent ably the 12th Suffolk District covering Dorchester and Mattapan, one of the most diverse districts in Massachusetts, and the district in which Fluker Oakley was born and raised. Her support for the Green New Deal, for improvements in public transportation, for sentencing reform, and for the Work and Family Mobility Act speak to her progressive vision, which would benefit immigrants, people of color, and all working people.
Given her leadership in fighting for transparency at the State House, Erika Uyterhoeven would surely make a hugely positive impact as the next representative for the 27th Middlesex District, which includes Somerville. She also has firmly demonstrated her commitment to immigrant rights, to a Massachusetts Green New Deal, and to a bold revision of our state’s housing and educational policies.
Last but far from least, we are proud to support Jesse Mermell in her bid to become the next U.S. Representative for the South Coast’s Fourth Congressional District, in the seat being vacated by Joe Kennedy. As President of the Alliance for Business Leadership and a member of Governor Patrick’s administration, she advocated strongly for the rights of all working people, supporting issues from Paid Family and Medical Leave to a $15 minimum wage. We are confident she would continue our Congressional delegation’s development as champions for social and economic justice on the national stage.”
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With over 175,000 members in 12 states and Washington DC, including 20,000 in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, 32BJ is the largest building service workers union in the country.