Today, the campaign for State Senate candidate Jason Lewis announced the endorsements of four of the top labor organizations in the state. SEIU Local 509, SEIU Local 888, 1199SEIU, and SEIU 32BJ New England District 615 have all endorsed State Rep. Jason Lewis in the special Democratic primary to fill Katherine Clark’s State Senate seat, citing his advocacy fighting for working families as a key reason they are supporting him.
“From his lead sponsorship of earned sick time legislation to his efforts to raise the minimum wage and increase public health and wellness funding, Jason Lewis has always fought hard for Massachusetts' working families,” said SEIU Local 509 president Susan Tousignant. “Lewis is exactly the kind of leader working families need on Beacon Hill, and we are proud to endorse him for State Senate.”
Lewis’s advocacy for working families includes: working to raise the minimum wage to $11 an hour and indexing it to inflation; opposing any cuts to unemployment benefits; leading the fight for paid sick leave so workers and parents can care for their children and other family members when they’re sick without risk of losing their jobs; and supporting investments in higher education, workforce development, and job training skills to ensure all Massachusetts workers can compete and thrive in today’s global economy.
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The endorsing organizations are part of the Service Employees International Union, the largest and fastest-growing labor union in the United States, with 2.1 million members. Focused on uniting workers in four sectors –- public services, long term care, property services, and hospital systems — SEIU is the nation’s largest health care union, the largest property services union, and the second-largest public employee union.
SEIU Local 509, SEIU Local 888, 1199SEIU, and SEIU 32BJ District 615 join a growing list of organizations, local leaders, and progressive state legislators endorsing Lewis in the race to fill Katherine Clark’s seat. A current list of who has endorsed Lewis can be found at www.electjasonlewis.com/endorsements.
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Lewis is the progressive Democrat running to replace Katherine Clark in the 5th Middlesex State Senate District. He currently serves as state Representative for the 31st Middlesex District, including Stoneham and Winchester. Lewis is the vice-chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health, and co-founded the legislature's Prevention for Health Caucus. He has led efforts in the legislature to improve the quality of healthcare for all and to ensure that all public schools receive adequate and equitable funding.
Lewis attended public schools, and received his undergraduate degree and MBA from Harvard. He and his wife Susan, a middle school science teacher, are the proud parents of two daughters, Sophie and Jessie. Before Lewis was elected state Representative, he helped build two successful software companies, which created hundreds of high-tech, good-paying jobs.
The special Democratic primary for the 5th Middlesex State Senate seat will be held on March 4th, and the General Election will be held on April 1st. The senate district includes the cities and towns of Malden, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield, and parts of Winchester.
For more information about Jason Lewis please visit www.electjasonlewis.com.
