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Lis Smith, 224-567-9062
Taylor Bollhagen, 949-584-1544
MILWAUKEE, WI—Today, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mahlon Mitchell accepted the endorsement of the Service Employees International Union Wisconsin State Council. Prior to the press conference, Mitchell toured the home of Denise Lindsey, a Milwaukee-are homecare worker, to “walk a day in her shoes” and learn about the challenges facing homecare workers across Wisconsin. SEIU leaders praised Mitchell’s record as an advocate for working people across Wisconsin and said that he will bring much-needed change to Madison.
“Our members perform critical services that keep our communities running, but too many of them and their colleagues in long term care, building service, food service, and public service have been made invisible and unheard by Scott Walker,” SEIU Wisconsin President Dian Palmer said. “All workers deserve a living wage, and we need a champion, like Mahlon Mitchell, as Governor to progress toward that goal. He is committed to the fight for $15. Plus, he knows that unions are a solution to help people, like our host Denise, work with her colleagues to raise standards in long-term care as well as the other fields we represent.”
Mitchell, a 20-year firefighter and President of the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin, thanked SEIU for their support, and pledged to fight for working people in Madison by raising wages and improving Wisconsin’s health care system.
“I’m grateful for the support of SEIU Wisconsin and thankful to Denise for letting me walk a day in her shoes. We clearly have a lot of work to do to make Wisconsin work for all of our people,” Mitchell said. “There’s something wrong in Wisconsin when we have people working two or three jobs just to make ends meet. That’s why I’ll make raising wages my number one priority as Governor.”
Mitchell continued, “I’ll also do what Scott Walker hasn’t and expand Medicaid. It’s not enough to make sure that everyone has access to health care, we need make sure that every Wisconsinite actually has health care. It’s time for change in Madison, and I look forward to working with my brothers and sisters at SEIU to achieve it.”
Mahlon was previously endorsed by the Operating Engineers Local 139, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998, Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin, Congresswoman Gwen Moore, and Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney.
