Seattle DSA endorses Kshama Sawant for Seattle City Council, District 3 Councilmember Sawant has been a tireless advocate for workers and tenants during a period where the Council was under intense pressure to fold to corporate interests. She has never wavered in her support for the issues that matter most: from fighting for the $15… Read more »
The Hellhole – Week of 5/6
Seattle schools deserve workplace democracy It’s teacher appreciation week. You’d think teachers would be appreciated? Many teachers already pay out of pocket for supplies, play roles as pseudo-guidance counselors and librarians as paraeducators are cut. That’s whack. This week, the Social Equity Educators caucus of the Seattle Educators Association held walk-ins demanding better conditions for… Read more »
The Hellhole – Week of 4/29
Caregivers invisible no more as Washington funds long-term care. Washington State’s Long Term Care Trust Act is just a start, but it’s a worthy one. The fund is a modest, flat payroll tax which, absent capital gains or progressive income tax in our regressive state, will accrue up to $36,500 for workers for long-term care.… Read more »
The Hellhole – Week of 4/22
SEIU Nurses Rally for Breaks, Safe Scheduling; Sen. Walsh Needs a Rest Period After Self-Own Nurses work demanding jobs. So it’s only natural that they demand safe scheduling, fair breaks, and adequate rest. But there’s always some blowhard who disagrees right? State Senator Walsh (R – Walla Walla) derided nurses as people who play cards,… Read more »
The Hellhole – Week of 4/15
Dual bills protecting workers pass the state legislature Over 100,000 workers work in agriculture every year, producing enormous value in their communities and also $7 billion in revenue for captains of industry. Immigrants feed Washington. Since 2007, the H2-A program has grown over 1000% in Washington state and immigrants’ rights organizations have worked hard this… Read more »
The Hellhole – Week of 4/8
Sound Transit’s Lame Plan In his piece on how Sound Transit plans to change the downtown transit tunnel, Seattle Times reporter Mike Lindblom tries to imagine anything other than a “security station” going where the current Metro customer service station was. Bodegas, bathrooms, burgers, bistros. But instead, Sound Transit decided, we’re getting a security hub.… Read more »
The Hellhole – Week of 4/1
Dealer Madness: Landlords have too much power Comrades in the market for eighths and edibles should steer clear of The Joint. In addition to being a petty landlord, the owner has a dark history with women. David Sadis, who founded the chain of recreational weed stores with his brother Shy, is a wannabe real estate… Read more »
The Hellhole – Week of 3/25
City Upzones The Seattle City Council up-zoned dozens of neighborhoods around mass transit hubs. Upzones provoke a lot of internal debate on the left because upzones, free of mitigating policy, often lead to gentrification. A new complex plopped on a block raises the market value. It is new and sleek while much of the city… Read more »
The Hellhole – Week of 3/18
Sound Transit CEO to privatize routes, bring in scabs Privatization leads to worse service and outcomes. This week Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff suggested privatizing a bus route and replacing union jobs with low-bid scabs. What’s good for the goose is not good for the gander though, as Rogoff haggled an 11 percent pay increase… Read more »
The Hellhole – Week of 3/11
Northwest Detention Center Resistance celebrates five years of fighting for immigrant rights This past Sunday in Tacoma, Northwest Detention Center Resistance celebrated their 5th anniversary of fighting for and as people surviving unjust detainment and slavery-like conditions at the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC). NWDCR will also change their name to La Resistencia. The event featured… Read more »
The Hellhole – Week 3/4
Mayor Durkan tried to appoint a public official who oversaw the largest death of unhoused Seattleites in history without a debate Mayor Durkan appointed yet another public official without consulting the public. Jason Johnson had served as interim head of Human Services for the city since March last year. The record number of unhoused deaths… Read more »
The Hellhole – Week of 2/25
Washington teachers fought high stakes testing. Last Friday, they won. High stakes testing and “No Child Left Behind” privatization ravaged public education under Bush, Obama, and Trump. These tests have gone from marginal assessment to dominating the curriculum (and often the bonus structure) during the year. These tests are neither reliable nor valid for assessing… Read more »