Viewpoint: Why Our Members Put in 650 Hours Canvassing for Katie Wilson for Seattle Mayor

Much is going to be written about the path to victory of Seattle mayor-elect Katie Wilson—a political newcomer who came from behind to win an incredible upset. They will say how her campaign benefited from Trump’s presidency and some vague generalized anger toward all politicians. As president of United Auto Workers Local 4121, the union of 8,500 academic student employees, postdoctoral scholars, and research staff at the University of Washington, I want to tell the story of why I believe she won.

Wilson has spent her 20 years as a leader in Seattle listening to and organizing alongside workers like us. She talked about the realities we're facing, like the outrageous and increasing costs of food and housing in our city. And her campaign was built on people power, like a union campaign. The record turnout in this election showed that this formula works, and can even overcome an opponent’s significant financial advantages.

Right away, the workers our union represents—both early-career and longtime career workers at UW, most of whom are struggling to make ends meet in Seattle—recognized Wilson as someone who has been fighting for the same things we’ve fought for for years. She understands what makes this city harder and harder to live in for working people, from the affordability crisis of rent, groceries, and childcare, to how long it takes you to get to the lab, to whether you have respect and dignity at work, or if you could be forced into unthinkable circumstances because of your immigration status.

Wilson knows that our challenges aren’t solved at donor events—they are solved by mobilizing workers to shift the focus of decision-makers in City Hall. She illustrated time and again why affordability challenges aren’t inevitable, but instead are political choices.

As a founder of the Transit Riders Union, Wilson helped lead the campaign that won free U-PASS transit passes for all UW employees, a victory that now saves thousands of workers hundreds of dollars a year and reduces carbon emissions across the city. That win came from coalition building, persistence, and believing that regular people can take on powerful institutions and win.

These are qualities we relate to as union members because organizing and building coalitions is how we build power year after year, to secure new rights and protect the rights we have won. At UW and in the greater Seattle community, we have fought to increase affordable housing, expand childcare access, demand better health care benefits, defend our immigrant co-workers from federal attacks, and much more, by mobilizing.

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Wilson organized a movement of voters who—sometimes for the first time—recognized the influence they could have by taking organized collective action. The tiny number of billionaires and the corporate landlords who poured millions of dollars into this race to protect the status quo couldn’t compete, because too many of us agreed with Wilson that affordability is worth fighting for. That the wealth in this city must be taxed so that everyone can live here, not just those who already have money. That climate action requires transforming how we move around the city.

These big ideas are inspiring, and so when our union helped organize nine union-led canvasses all across the city, workers showed up in huge numbers. Our members alone logged 650 hours of canvassing because we believed in the movement. Hundreds of other volunteers did the same. And voters we met agreed: this year's election featured the highest turnout in 20 years. In our own membership, 65 percent of eligible voters cast ballots, compared to citywide turnout of about 55 percent.

The margin in this race came down to just a few thousand votes. That means every conversation mattered. Every phone call, every text, every email, every flyer, every post on social media. The race likely flipped on the strength of the late ballots of students, renters, young workers, and first-time voters.

Wilson’s win is much more than a vote against Trump. It’s a positive vote for the city we want to live in. We are thrilled to be looking toward a future for Seattle envisioned by working-class people. Under Wilson’s leadership, we can come together to organize, mobilize, and speak power to power to build a city where we all can thrive.

Natalie Wellen is president of UAW Local 4121.