Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County (BLMSKC) today issued the following statement on the expulsion of the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild (SPOG) from MLK Labor (formerly Martin Luther King County Labor Council):
“We stand with our allies in MLK Labor in demanding acknowledgement and addressing of institutionalized racism in Seattle policing, and that police accountability be included in contract negotiations. Transforming labor negotiations with the Seattle Police Officers Guild is imperative. Earlier this month, BLMSKC met with Mayor Jenny Durkan and demanded a community seat at the negotiation table with SPOG. She has since announced negotiations with the union are on hold until there is a plan in place to have community representation—a step toward the seismic change our community demands. Black Lives Matter has also called for a substantial reduction in badge-and-gun police positions, with funding reallocated for civilian jobs.
This is what defunding police looks like: fewer police, more workers, in service to real community needs.”
