SEIU Local 500

🚨Endorsement Alert🚨

SEIU 500 members are proud to stand with Oye Owolewa for D.C. Council, At-Large. He has served the District as its shadow representative for multiple terms advocating for statehood and has a pulse to the issues across D.C. that residents want in their lawmakers. His work ethic and dedication to working families make him the 1st choice for our members on the District of Columbia Council.

SEIU 500 Statement regarding Montgomery County Board of Education vote to take place on June 4th

While we are encouraged to see that MCPS has decided to preserve several College and Career Navigator positions, we remain deeply disappointed that Dr. Taylor’s proposal, which the Board of Education will vote on tomorrow, still includes cuts to vital staff in the Career Pathways Program, EML Therapeutic Counselors, Family Engagement Specialists, and English Composition Assistant positions.

These are not simply positions on a spreadsheet — they are dedicated professionals who provide direct support to students, families, and school communities every single day. These staff help students prepare for careers and future opportunities, support multilingual learners and newly arrived families, strengthen academic achievement, connect families to schools and resources, and provide critical interventions that allow students to succeed both inside and outside the classroom.

These proposed cuts would have real consequences. They would mean fewer supports for students who are struggling academically, socially, emotionally, or linguistically. They would place additional burdens on already stretched educators and school staff. And they would disproportionately impact some of our most vulnerable students and communities.

We recognize the difficult financial circumstances facing MCPS, but balancing budgets should not come at the expense of the students and families who rely on these essential services. We urge the Board of Education to reject these harmful cuts and identify alternative cost-saving measures that preserve these vital programs and the workers who make them possible.

The message remains simple: cut things — not people.

SEIU 500
# # #