BY JEFF POWERS
SEATTLE - The Socialist Workers Party has announced a slate of candidates for local elections here. Scott Breen, an assembly mechanic at the Boeing Co. and a member of International Association of Machinists (IAM) District 751, is the party's candidate for mayor. Robbie Scherr is running for Seattle city council. She is also a member of IAM District 751 and works at Boeing. Chris Rayson, a switchman at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad and member of United Transportation Union (UTU) Local 845, is running for King County Port Commission.

Campaign supporters are petitioning to place all three candidates on the ballot. They plan to gather a total of 3,300 signatures, well over the 2,000 required, and submit them by the August 1 filing date.

Breen explained that "during the petitioning effort our campaign will urge the broadest participation possible in the August 10 farm workers support rally in Mattawa, Washington." The rally has been called to support the United Farm Workers campaign to organize apple pickers in the Yakima valley. Farm workers at the R.T. Perry and King Fuji ranch in the Mattawa area struck and won raises up to $1 an hour in June.

Supporters intend to aggressively petition throughout Seattle - at factory plant gates, rail yards, docks, shopping areas, college campuses, political meetings, and protests.

"We intend to present an action program to win jobs and defend wages and working conditions," Breen said. "A campaign by the labor movement to shorten the workweek with no cut in pay and to support affirmative action to end discrimination against women, Black, and Latino workers is the way to provide jobs with decent wages for all of us." The candidates will be presenting an internationalist perspective, speaking out against Washington's war moves, including the U.S.-led occupation of Yugoslavia and the Clinton administration's moves to expand NATO.

A public meeting to launch the socialist election campaign will be held Saturday, July 19, 7:30 p.m., at the Pathfinder Bookstore, 1405 E. Madison, in Seattle. Call the Socialist Workers Campaign at (206) 323-3429 for more information or to help with the petitioning effort.  
 
 
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