Director of Racial and Gender Justice

 

In November 2023, Joaquín Rodríguez (he/him) was named the WSLC’s Director of Racial and Gender Justice, a position dedicated to leading the council’s work in challenging all of Washington’s labor movement — union leaders, staffers and rank-and-file members — to understand our collective responsibility and stake in advocating for racial and gender justice. This role was created to support the WSLC’s Race and Labor work — as set forth by the council’s affiliated unions since 2015 — that the labor movement in Washington state is dedicated to dismantling racial, gender, and economic oppression.

Before joining the WSLC, Rodríguez served as a South Seattle Educator and Seattle Education Association’s (SEA) Association Representative. Working most recently as a Multilingual Science teacher, he found himself advocating for himself and for others in the face of inequity. Rodríguez was called to serve his fellow SEA educators and was elected twice as the SEA Center for Racial and Social Justice Director, where he served the SEA and wider communities. Joaquín was a SEA’s 2022 bargaining team member and Washington Education Association political action committee (WEA-PAC) Manager, facilitating SEA’s endorsement process, and organizing Get Out the Vote initiatives and SEA’s lobby day.

For more information about the WSLC’s work in this area, visit the Race and Labor page. Rodríguez can be reached at jrodriguez@wslc.org or by calling 206-790-3767.