While most unions have endorsed Jenny Durkan, Cary Moon picked up a big one today.
While most unions have endorsed Jenny Durkan, Cary Moon picked up a big one today. HG

The split among labor players in the mayoral race continues today with an announcement from one of the city's most prominent unions.

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21 endorsed Cary Moon today.

"My coworkers are being pushed out of the city. We want to live in a city that is affordable for people like me who work here," said Jeannette Randall, a Safeway worker and member of UFCW 21. "Cary Moon has the right ideas and experience to build an affordable city."

UFCW 21 says it is Washington's largest private-sector union with a membership of more than 44,000 grocery, retail, health care, and meat processing workers.

Another union, UNITE HERE Local 8, also endorsed Moon today. UNITE HERE Local 8 represents 5,000 hotel and hospitality workers in Washington and Oregon.

At a press conference announcing the endorsements, Moon touted her proposals for increased rights for domestic workers and freelancers. She also cited her pay equity proposals, which include a pitch to ban employers from asking about salary history.

“The working people of Seattle deserve dignity, respect, and an equal voice shaping the future of this city," Moon said.

Earlier this year, both UFCW 21 and UNITE HERE Local 8 endorsed former mayor Ed Murray. Facing allegations of sexual abuse, Murray dropped his bid for re-election and then resigned. In the primary, the two unions endorsed former state representative Jessyn Farrell.

Both unions have advocated for high-profile city policies in the last year. UFCW 21 members advocated for the city's secure scheduling legislation. (The other group most involved in that advocacy was Working Washington, which is funded in part by Service Employees International Union 775. That union has endorsed Moon's opponent Jenny Durkan.)

UNITE HERE Local 8 campaigned for a ballot measure to provide more sexual harassment and assault protections for hotel workers.

Durkan, meanwhile, has benefitted from the interests that fought those protections.

The Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce opposed argued against some aspects of secure scheduling. The Seattle Hotel Association opposed the sexual harassment protections and unsuccessfully sued to blocked them. Both groups have endorsed Durkan and helped buy pricey ads on her behalf.