AFSCME Council 57 is the latest political heavyweight to vote for Kimberly Ellis to lead and represent statewide democrats as the next California Democratic Party Chair.
AFSCME Council 57 represents workers in schools and community colleges, transit agencies, public works and services, clinics and hospitals, and water and wastewater facilities. Their members also include health and social service professionals in corrections facilities throughout Northern California and the Central Valley.
“Although AFSCME Council 57 has never made an endorsement in the State Party Chair’s race, this year we were compelled to invite the two candidates to share their legislative priorities, organizing plans and leadership values” said Cynthia McCabe, President of AFSCME Council 57.
McCabe continued, “After extensive scrutiny, our board voted to stand shoulder to shoulder with Kimberly Ellis because of her inclusiveness, and her mandate to involve, organize and be a champion for public service employees and working families. We are confident Kimberly will bring new standards of transparency to governance and policy-making in Sacramento and nationally. She is a leader we can all be proud to work with and count on to enact laws and defend worker’s rights and safety.”
AFSCME Council 57 is affiliated with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), a democratic union with 1.6 million members who share a common commitment to public service in our communities. It is comprised of 25,000 members throughout Northern California and the Central Valley, with nine regional offices stretching from Eureka to Los Angeles.
Kimberly Ellis commented, “The members of AFSCME Council 57 are some of our most dedicated public servants. I’m committed to helping advance their progressive policies and standing up to corporate lobbyists, so we can create real changes, not just pay lip service. I’m looking forward to working in tandem to legislate real solutions to the healthcare crisis, stand up to those who attack and scapegoat public sector workers, and fix California’s dysfunctional budget process and corporate tax policies.”
Ellis concluded, “Union workers are the backbone of the working class. I am deeply honored to have the support of AFSCME Council 57 in our shared vision of strengthening and expanding the labor movement and building a bigger, better and bolder Democratic Party that includes everyone in the conversation and political process.”