At the November 4 convention, we elected our first six at-large delegates to the United Working Families Party committee. Read their candidate statements below!
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Candidate Name: Roberto Clack
Preferred Gender Pronoun: He
Race/Ethnicity: Mexican-American Latino
Bio - Who are you?
Orginally from a working class community and union family in Joliet, Illinois, Roberto has been an organizer for over a decade in Chicago working in labor, housing and veterans organizations. Roberto's most recent focus is organizing with the veteran community via the Right to Heal campaign. The Right to Heal campaign is a community project that works with labor groups to protect patient safety and safe staffing at the Jesse Brown VA and beyond.
Why do we need to build an independent political party?
Our 2 party system from the national to local level has been corrupted by big money and corporations who back politicians that serves the interest of the wealthy and hurts the lives of everyday working people. There is a vital need to create independent political parties and organizations outside the Democratic Party structure to both hold political office holders accountable and to also field progressive and independent candidates that will advocate and fight for economic and racial justice. From the state house to city hall, our politicians have failed us and we need to build power to change politics as usual. We can only do this through building structure and organization and by running candidates on a clear & principled political platform that advances the needs of working families.
Why are you running for party committee?
I believe we need a party for the 99% that fights for working class people and I see UWF as a key institution in building the organization necessary to do this locally. I bring years of experience having worked with both community and labor organizations. I work on successful campaigns, such as being a steering committee member who passed Earned Sicked Time in the County & City as well as being involved in other successful campaigns such as the Keep Chicago Renting campaign, Source of Income County ordinance, to name a few. Growing membership and a base is essentially in accomplishing both electoral and issue based success. I plan on bringing my experience to the UWF party committee to both expand the organizational and individual membership base.
What's your vision for United Working Families?
Unions and community organizations are an essential part of this formation and as an open seat delegate I plan to recruit new unions and community organizations into the political fold of UWF. In September, I was a lead organizer in creating community support for the Illinois Nurses Association as they nearly went on strike at UIC hospital. Although not involved in progressive politics in the past, growing austerity in the public sector as well as emerging progressive leadership within the union make it possible to potentially recruit this labor union to join or ally with groups like UWF in the immediate future. As part of the Right to Heal campaign, we are in discussions with organized labor about uniting veterans and labor against austerity and privatization measures that hurt both communities. Veterans are disportionately represented in the public sector workforce, making up 15-20% according to some figures and as high as a third of the workforce in the VA system. In the context of a right wing austerity and anti-union agenda, The Right to Heal campaign plans to amplify veteran labor unionist voices as well as the patients served by these union members. The Right to Heal organization and INA are just 2 examples of groups I believe we can recruit to UWF in fighting for power for working class communities. Along with assisting my fellow delegates in recruiting these important organizational members, I will be on the forefront of signing up individual members to the organization. For the convention itself, I am bringing over 10 new dues paying members to join UWF. Grassroots individual donations and memberships are essentially in stregthening organization, structure and accountability. Our networks should be constantly growing our base and improving organizational discipline, democracy and capacity. Formal membership and growing commitment from our members is key to building power to win and take political power back for our communities.
What is your previous political and activist work?
I have extensive backround in organizing having worked in housing, labor and the peace movement. I was formerly the director of the Restaurant Opportunities Center Chicago. As part of ROC, I organized low wage restaurant workers to stand up to their employers and demand better working conditions and the enforcement of their labor rights. We also worked on policy campaigns and were a key group in passing earned sick time in Chicago. I worked for over 5 years in housing as a community organizer in the Metropolitan Tenants Organization. As part of this organizing project, I worked with a wide variety of low income tenants, organizing them to stand up to their landlords to demand better living conditions. As part of these years of work, I saw tenant organizations successfully fight evictions, get their heat turned on in the winter, get long standing repair issues resolved and be a part of successful policy campaigns that helped thousands of renters. As a organizer of veterans, I was a lead organizer in make significant changes at the Jesse Brown VA, which includes hiring of needed staff and winning a female only space for women veterans being served at the VA. I also a lead organizer for the NATO ceremony uniting Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to bring light to immoral wars that have cost innocent lives. I am a capable trainer on organizing and experienced in developing leaders both for immediate work and fights and over the long term.
Organization affiliations (unions, community groups, etc):
Right to Heal Chicago
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Candidate Name: Manuel Diaz
Preferred Gender Pronoun: He, Him, His
Race/Ethnicity: Latinx
Bio - Who are you?
27 year old organizer. Cicero raised. 1st generation everything. Mexicano. Tech and data aficionado
Why do we need to build an independent political party?
The two party system is a recipe for, at best, moderate policy. It forces pragmatic approaches to delicate issues that end up benefitting the ruling class. It's one reason why the US is the only modern country that doesn't guarantee healthcare as a basic right, amongst one of the more embarrassing facts.
Why are you running for party committee?
Representation of our community, our generation and our underrepresented & unorganized working class. I believe my capabilities and skill-set would be an asset to UWF.
What's your vision for United Working Families?
Short term: Back good people to run and win in strategic places to challenge machine candidates in Chicagoland. Long term: Challenge the Democratic Party and other right wingers and establish a powerful base to launch leftists into office all over the state.
What is your previous political and activist work?
College activist at UIUC around core campus issues. Community organizer in South Chicago around local issues. Dpty Campaign Manager in the 15th ward for Rafael Yanez. Workplace organizer challenging employers and driving pro worker legislation in Cook County.
Organization affiliations (unions, community groups, etc)?
Member National Writers Union
Member United Working Families
Member Democratic Socialists of America
Internal Organizer at Arise Chicago
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Candidate Name: Sue Sadlowski-Garza
Preferred Gender Pronoun: She/Her
Race/Ethnicity: White
Bio - Who are you?
I am a lifelong resident and community activist of the 10th ward and have dedicated my life to creating a healthier and safer community for our children and families. In 2015, with the support of United Working Families, I defeated an Emanuel-backed incumbent to become 10th Ward Alderwoman, becoming the first-ever active Chicago Teachers Union member to be elected to City Council and the first-ever woman to represent the 10th Ward in City Council. I am a member of the Progressive and Latino Caucuses and served as a delegate for Bernie Sanders in 2016.
I worked in Chicago Public Schools for 20 years in various capacities, all towards the goal of giving children the tools they need to succeed. I was a counselor at Jane Addams elementary and the south side area Vice President of the Chicago Teachers Union. I am also a member of East Side Pride community organization and have been proud to contribute to the fight against pollutants in the Southeast Side of Chicago.
My father was the rank and file Steelworkers union leader, Ed Sadlowski. He taught me from a very young age that when we unite and apply democratic principles rights we can build a stronger community. I am the mother of four children, David, Ryan, Tyler and Kate, and wife to Raul Garza, a member of AFL-CIO.
Why do we need to build an independent political party? *
In City Council, I have seen firsthand how the Mayor controls aldermen through his network of wealthy donors. We need an independent alternative that challenges the Mayor’s control of City Council and his vision for a Chicago that only the wealthy few can afford. That means doing the work of an independent political party: recruiting, training, and running our own people; getting them elected; moving an alternative agenda; and organizing year-round to make continued victories possible.
Why are you running for party committee? *
In 2015, United Working Families trained and supported me and my volunteers and helped me run a competitive campaign. I have been giving back informally by helping with fundraising, recruitment, and strategy. Being a member of the party’s leadership is meaningful to me because it means that I can continue to use my public profile as a member of City Council to raise UWF’s public profile, support fundraising efforts, advise on political strategy, and build the organization we need to achieve even greater victories in 2018, 2019, and beyond.
What's your vision for United Working Families? *
I believe that United Working Families is unique because of it combination of the strength and resources of the labor movement with the spirit and innovation of its grassroots membership.
My experience in the Chicago Teachers Union, as well as my father’s experience with the Steelworkers, taught me the power of the rank-and-file. I want to see United Working Families become a vibrant political party that can challenge the outsize role that corporations and the 1% play in our city and state governments.
What is your previous political and activist work? *
I have a long history of fighting for public education, workers rights, and economic, racial, and social justice. I was a Chicago Teachers Union delegate for Jane Addams school, a member of the Chicago Teachers Union Executive Board, and a strike leader in 2012. In 2015, I became the first-ever active Chicago Teachers Union member to be elected to City Council. I grew up in a proud union home with strong values of income equality, gender equity, racial harmony, and workers and environmental rights. As 10th Ward Alderwoman, I have fought back against the Trump-Rauner-Rahm agenda of privatizing public schools and services to enrich the wealthy.
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Candidate Name: Carlos Ramirez-Rosa
Preferred Gender Pronoun: He/Him
Race/Ethnicity: Latinx
Bio - Who are you?
Queer, Latinx, and a democratic socialist, Carlos Ramirez-Rosa has served as Alderman of Chicago’s 35th Ward since his election to the City Council in 2015. A deportation defense organizer prior to his election, Carlos has legislated by co-conspiring with movements for social and economic justice. Carlos is the chief sponsor of legislation to: tax the rich; achieve climate justice; strengthen city protections for undocumented immigrants; and end racist policing. Carlos was an elected Bernie Sanders delegate to the 2016 DNC, and was named an “emerging power player” by Chicago Magazine in 2017 for organizing a broad people-power base that holds him accountable and fights for progressive policies.
Why do we need to build an independent political party?
For decades now, the national political parties have acted like different sides of the same coin when it comes to the issues impacting working families. We have seen both Democrats and Republicans support policies that put the interests of the rich and big corporations before the interests of our working families. Corporations and the wealthy, using their money to buy influence in the halls of power, have successfully won bi-partisan support for disastrous policies like the TPP or the Keystone Pipeline. In the face of this growing corporate power we need to build independent political power, we need to build a diverse political movement of working people. This political movement must not be beholden to the people, not any existing political institution or rich donors. Only through building independent political power can we ensure that we are running and electing candidates that are accountable to us, not powerful corporations.
Why are you running for party committee?
I am running because I believe strongly that elected officials must govern from below, that is to say elected officials must obey the people and act in conjunction with the grassroots movements that elected them and are holding them accountable. During my time as Alderman I have sought to model the behavior of a "movement elected official," an elected official who coordinates their work organizing inside the halls of power with those organizing the grassroots movements in the streets. As one of the first individuals elected with the support of UWF, I would like to serve on the Board to continue building the organization and continue to grow our vision of independent, working class, political power that elects and holds progressive elected officials accountable.
What's your vision for United Working Families?
With the election of 45, and the failure of corporate Democrats, working people face a crisis like never before. From the assault on unions and working people, to climate change, to the attempts to roll back civil rights, LGBT rights, women's rights, and immigrant rights, working people must build a powerful grassroots movement to seize power and create a government that is truly of, by, and for the people. I envision a UWF that within the next two years is a powerful people-powered organization that elects working people to all levels of government, an organization that is diverse and engages in intersectional movement building. I envision a UWF that within the next ten years has elected a Chicago Mayor, a Governor, a Speaker of the Illinois House, a Senate President, and village Trustees and town mayors across Illinois that are principled, progressive, and accountable to the people-powered organization we have built. It is my hope that UWF will become an organization that puts 100s of working people in office and tens of thousands of people in the streets - so that the people and their elected representatives are fighting hand-in-hand for the changes we so desperately need.
What is your previous political and activist work?
2007 - Worked to elected CFL and SEIU endorsed Aldermanic candidates Greg Brewer (50th Ward) and Joe Moore (49th Ward).
2008 - Worked to elect Barack Obama and was elected Democratic Precinct Committeeman in Champaign, IL.
2008 to 2011 - Fought for immigrants' rights and workers' rights and affordable college tuition as a student organizer with MEChA, USAS, and various ccampus coalitions. Led succesful campaign to win funding for LGBT and women's programs at UIUC.
2010 - Worked to elect Rudy Lozano, Jr. to State House and Chuy Garcia to County Board.
2011 - Worked to elect Mayoral candidate Miguel del Valle.
2012 - Supported the deportation defense organizing work of the Immigrant Youth Justice League (now OCAD) as a deportation caseworker in the office of Congressman Luis Gutierrez.
2013 - Worked to elect Will Guzzardi to State House and worked on winning and enforcing good union contracts as a staffer with UNITE HERE Local 1.
2014 - Worked as a deportation defense organizer with the IL Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.
Organization affiliations (unions, community groups, etc):
United Neighbors of the 35th Ward, Reclaim Chicago / The People's Lobby, United Working Families, Democratic Socialists of America
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Candidate Name: Jay Travis
Preferred Gender Pronoun: She/her/hers
Race/Ethnicity: Black
Bio - Who are you?
I am an organizer with a 25-year track record of grassroots organizing and coalition building with low-income and working families. As one of the youngest Executive Director of Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, I led one of Chicago's oldest, Black, intergenerational organizations that organized to address the housing, employment, safety and senior (elderly) needs of families in North Kenwood, Oakland and Bronzeville. As a steadfast proponent of racial, economic and social justice, I have supported progressive candidates and worked to build infrastructure for working families to elect accountable people with a commitment to a progressive agenda. I was endorsed by United Working Families as a candidate for State Representative in 2016, and I played a supportive role in Karen Lewis' and Chuy Garcia's bids for mayor. I have also worked to build community and labor coalitions to strengthen our fight for education justice both locally and nationally.
Why do we need to build an independent political party?
Elected officials in both parties have become beholden to their billionaire donors, and less and less accountable to the needs of low-income and working families. Critical issues such as school privatization, the abuse of TIF funds and attacks on affordable housing enjoy bi-partisan support. Entrenched political machines have prolonged the passage of critical legislation at the state level based on political gamesmanship and not the needs of the people.
Why are you running for party committee?
I am interested in working to elect accountable political leadership at the municipal, state and federal level.
What's your vision for United Working Families?
My vision for working families is that it strengthens the infrastructure needed to elect representative, progressive, accountable political leadership. While I feel that the establishment of a full independent party will take time, I fully support that vision. I also support Working Families as a vehicle that is rooted in community and labor coalitions based on mutual respect.
What is your previous political and activist work?
I have a history of working to build political power through assisting grassroots organizers with connecting issue based organizing with voter engagement/turnout and identifying progressive candidates to run for office. I ran for State Representative of 26th (twice) and created a intergenerational, racially representative, community labor coalition that won over 11,000 votes in the 2016 election. People United for Action, a grassroots Independent organization, was created by people that worked on my first campaign, and is still active.
Organization affiliations (unions, community groups, etc):
Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, People United for Action
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Candidate Name: Mayra Lopez-Zuniga
Preferred Gender Pronoun: She/Her
Race/Ethnicity: Latinx
Bio - Who are you?
Mayra is the proud daughter of immigrant parents who moved to Chicago from Mexico in search of a better future. Her family settled in the Back of the Yards community, where she grew up confronted by the realities of growing up in a low-income immigrant community. Mayra has been organizing in Chicago for the past 8 years. The majority of that time, she organized with The Resurrection Project (TRP) where she organized around education, redistricting, and immigration reform in Back of the Yards. Mayra led a successful campaign in 2011 to advocate for a new ward in the City of Chicago’s redistricting process. The campaign specifically demanded to consolidate the number of wards that encompassed the Back of the Yards community, leading to the creation of the new 15th ward. In 2013, Mayra’s work shifted to focus on education and parent engagement. She led the implementation and expansion for the Parent Mentor Program and created the organization's base for parent engagement. In 2015, Mayra took a short break to work as a field organizer for the Garcia for Chicago campaign where she was the field director for all of the southwest side wards with a Latino majority population. In 2016, Mayra helped elect the first Asian American legislator to the Illinois Legislature, State Representative Theresa Mah. Early in 2017, Mayra became District Director for Representative Mah. She continues to be actively involved in Back of the Yards, Pilsen and McKinley Park where she currently resides. Mayra graduated from University of Chicago in 2010 with a B.A. in Anthropology and Latin American studies. She is proud graduate of Chicago Public Schools and an alumni fellow of UnidosUS's National Institute for Latino School Leadership.
Why do we need to build an independent political party?
We need an independent political party to elect people whose values and desire to run for office align to a political platform that aims to represent working class people, people of color, undocumented folks and any group who is often disenfranchised from the political system. Every day, more and more, money and special interest corrupts the way our political system works. Currently, machine politics has monopolized the way people become elected officials. If people are interested in running for office, they must align themselves to elected officials, even if their values and work ethic is questionable. This is why it is so imperative for us to create a alternative way for people, specially everyday people, to become involved with politics and run for office.
We need to create a way for our progressive moment to elect people to office and I think United Working Families should and can be that vehicle. Together we can create a way for elected officials to become accountable to their constituencies and empower people to vote people out of office when they are not doing right by them. At the same time, we need to broaden the pool of candidates, create a bench of progressive elected officials who come from our movement. I think UWF can become the vehicle to run and elect movement elected officials and to keep them accountable too.
Why are you running for party committee?
I am running for United Working Families' party committee because in my short time doing electoral politics in the City of Chicago, I have observed a hunger for change among the Latino community. People are tired of politics as usual and although that has created a deep distrust of the way politics works, people are also challenging the way they see elected officials. People are challenging the perception of their agency within the system. If we set forth higher standards for our elected officials, hold them accountable for listening to constituent concerns, and taking action on issues relevant to the communities they represent - perhaps our quality of life would improve. However, there is a gap between the organizing happening on the ground in the communities and building the capacity needed to run successful campaigns. I believe my skills as community organizer, field director for political campaigns and my current role as District Director for an elected official can be helpful to UWF as we create a platform for the upcoming year leading up to 2019. I want to help create a platform that encompasses issues that matter to people in the southwest side of Chicago. I have plenty of relationships in the southwest side of Chicago that I would love to activate and bring forth to UWF to grow our movement and power.
What's your vision for United Working Families?
As mentioned before, I think there is great need for an alternative political space in Chicago. I space for people politics. My vision is that United Working Families becomes that space. I hope UWF becomes as space where people on the ground can find support to run people from the community to office. My hope is that the work and platform of UWF is shaped by the membership and in turn it's membership define and keep accountable the work of the organization so that the work and politics of the organization are always relevant to the communities it encompasses. This way, the organization can also be supportive when people on the group wish to hold their elected officials accountable. I want UWF to become a powerful coalition of people in Chicago who are defining the standards for good, accountable, community centered elected officials.
What is your previous political and activist work?
I have 8+ years organizing in Chicago, sometimes with institutions and lately a lot of my organizing work is centered on community and political organizing with individuals in Pilsen and Back of the Yards. My first organizing campaign was around redistricting in 2011 negotiating with the Latino and Black caucus around a unified and compact ward encompassing Back of the Yards. At the time Back of the Yards was split in 6 wards (3,11,12,15,16,20) and now the majority of Back of the Yards is in 3 wards (15,20,16) although 11 & 12 still have the industrial corridors of the community. In 2014, I helped Rafael Yanez at the early stages of his campaign for 15th ward and in 2015 I was one of the first Field Directors hire by the Garcia for Chicago campaign where I oversaw most of the wards in the Southwest Side of Chicago (11,12,14,15,23,25) . Last year, I assisted running field in Pilsen for Theresa Mah during her campaign against Alex Acevedo, son of the incumbent whose home base is in Pilsen. The campaign lost Pilsen by a couple of percentage points but won the race. I am currently organizing a group of residents interested in running an alternative candidate in the 15th ward during 2019.
Organization affiliations (unions, community groups, etc):
Mijente, We are Back of the Yards, UWF
