EOI Updates Paid family and medical leave in WA: With your help, we can and we will! December 7, 2016 / October 26, 2026 by John Burbank I’d like to tell you a story about Evelin – a proud daughter, social worker, and mother of two. A couple of years ago, her family faced a tough decision: Evelin’s father Jose was on the verge of kidney failure and desperately needed surgery. The good news? Jose had good health care. The bad news? […] Read more »
EOI Updates New WA state rule on overtime pay can help fix income inequality November 30, 2016 / October 26, 2026 by John Burbank Two weeks ago the people of our state voted to raise the minimum wage to $11 an hour in 2017, and eventually $13.50 in 2020. It’s an important step forward — but just one step. And thanks to a judge in Texas, Washington has some more work to do. Strong as it is, our state’s […] Read more »
EOI Updates The 2016 election is not the end of the story November 17, 2016 / October 9, 2026 by John Burbank The election last week effectively shut the door on advancing economic opportunity and security for families and workers at the federal level. But that is not the end of the story. The focus for progress now turns from Washington DC to Washington state. We must continue to weave the blanket of economic opportunity which we […] Read more »
EOI Updates Time to make electoral college adhere to the popular vote – here’s how November 16, 2016 / October 26, 2026 by John Burbank Our leaders always reference democracy with the founders of our country. That is not true. The founders had a much different vision of power and control, one that did not and still does not comport with democracy. We started our journey as a nation with the Declaration of Independence, in which the founders stated, “We […] Read more »
EOI Updates You have meaningful decisions to make on your ballot November 3, 2016 / October 26, 2026 by John Burbank Have you had your ballot on the kitchen counter — for almost two weeks now — and still not opened it up to vote? Or maybe you forgot where you put it? Or maybe you recycled it, and now don’t know where to get your ballot to vote. Or maybe you just want to wait […] Read more »
EOI Updates Voting, taxes and what it means to be an American October 21, 2016 / October 26, 2026 by John Burbank When your ballot arrives later this week, take a pause and before you vote, consider, what does it mean to be an American? As Americans, we are all in this election together. We are in this country, this economy, this culture, and this government together. What is government? It is the comprehensive delivery of services […] Read more »
EOI Updates How our immigrant ancestors built their lives — and the nation October 6, 2016 / October 26, 2026 by John Burbank My friend invited my wife and me to celebrate her husband’s 70th birthday. We enjoyed an evening of great food and wine, stories of the past and hopes for the future. The stories of the past were such powerful American anecdotes that we all thought that my friends should write up their family histories. But […] Read more »
EOI Updates Workers have earned a better wage, paid sick leave: Support I-1433 September 23, 2016 / October 26, 2026 by John Burbank The campaign for president is getting most of the media attention this year, but we have other important decisions to make as voters this November. Among the initiatives on the ballot is Initiative 1433, also known as RaiseUp Washington. This initiative will put in place minimum standards for paid sick days across the state and […] Read more »
EOI Updates National anthem’s words add depth to football player’s protest September 7, 2016 / October 26, 2026 by John Burbank I had a good Labor Day weekend. I hope you did too. It was a good respite. Now we should be able to endure the final two months of the presidential campaign. Along with the fall weather, and the days getting shorter, our kids are back at school reading, writing, running, talking, thinking and learning. […] Read more »
EOI Updates Better wages would fill in gaps in economy’s growth August 25, 2016 / October 26, 2026 by John Burbank If you work in downtown Seattle, you can’t ignore the construction. Eight years ago construction ground to a halt, with big pits filling up with rain water. Now every street seems to be an obstacle course, as front loaders run amok and traffic cops try to sort out construction from commuting. But we shouldn’t get […] Read more »