SEIU Missouri/Kansas State Council Celebrates Tishaura Jones’ Victory in St. Louis Mayor’s Race
Jones, a longtime supporter of the movement for $15 and a union, inherits more than $500 million in direct assistance from the American Rescue Plan
ST. LOUIS – Today, St. Louis voters elected Tishaura O. Jones as the city’s next mayor in a disruption of the status quo and pointed our region in a bold new direction. SEIU members were among the first to endorse Mayor-elect Jones’ 2021 run, and analysis from the March 2 primary shows that SEIU members turned out at a higher percentage than the general public.
“Janitors, healthcare workers and more who have been working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic were instrumental in electing Tishaura O. Jones the first Black woman mayor of our city,” said SEIU janitor Deandra Rounds. “We look forward to working with Mayor-elect Jones to lead a recovery that includes essential workers and invests in our neighborhoods.”
Mayor-elect Jones has consistently stood with working families, from standing with nursing home workers for stronger COVID-19 protections to marching in the streets with janitors fighting for a $15 wage. When she takes office Mayor-elect Jones will inherit more than $500 million in direct aid from the American Rescue Plan, and SEIU members are looking to the incoming mayor to invest in and support St. Louis essential workers and their communities, especially those north of Delmar.
“The essential workers of SEIU congratulate Mayor-elect Jones on becoming the first Black woman mayor of St. Louis, and we are ready to work with her to create a better future, regardless of the color of our skin or what neighborhood we live in,” said SEIU home care worker Vicki Bates. “We trust her to reimagine public safety and to help us build a stronger, more equitable city with $15 and good union jobs for all.”
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The SEIU Missouri State Council represents 14,000 home care and health care providers, higher education faculty, janitors, as well as patient care professionals, first responders and social service workers. SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs, while ensuring that working people, not just wealthy special interests, benefit from today’s economy.