2015 Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Elections

SEIU Candidate Questionnaire

Thank you for participating in the Service Employees International Union Questionnaire
and Interview Process. SEIU will take your responses, in addition to verbal responses
made during a candidate interview, into consideration as we make a recommendation to
our membership and staff living in Virginia for the election.
There are two SEIU locals in Virginia. SEIU Virginia 512 represents Fairfax and
Loudoun County employees, Fairfax County deputy sheriffs, and home care workers
across the Commonwealth. SEIU Local 32BJ represents commercial office cleaners in
Northern Virginia.
With 2.1 million members, SEIU is the nation's largest and fastest-growing union,
focused on uniting workers in three sectors to improve their lives and the services they
provide: as Americas largest health care union, we unite members in the hospital, nursing
home, and home care industries; as the largest property services union, we unite members
in the building janitorial and security industries; and, with 1 million public sector
members nationwide, SEIU unites local and state government employees for a voice in
providing quality public services.
CANDIDATE STATEMENT
I affirmatively seek the endorsement and support of SEIU, its members, and their
families. In seeking this endorsement, I pledge to support the rights of workers to join a
union and collectively bargain. I understand that as a community leader, I may be called
upon to help workers form unions, including speaking with employers and urging them to
respect these same rights. Further, as an elected official, I will maintain regular contact
with SEIU Local leaders and members. Any campaign contribution I may receive is from
SEIU members who voluntarily give small monthly donations.
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Name
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Office
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Key Contact Person & Phone Number
Email questionnaire to:

David Broder
President,
SEIU Virginia 512
David.Broder@seiuva.org

If you have additional questions or concerns please call David Broder at 571-432-0209.
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CAMPAIGN PROFILE
Office Sought: ___________________________________________________________
District: ________________________________________________________________
Party: __________________________________________________________________
Committee Name: ________________________________________________________
Campaign Address: _______________________________________________________
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Campaign Phone: _________________________________________________________
Campaign Fax: ___________________________________________________________
Campaign Website: _______________________________________________________
Campaign Manager: _______________________________________________________
Campaign Manager Cell Phone: _____________________________________________
Campaign Manager E-mail: _________________________________________________
Anticipated Campaign Budget: ______________________________________________
Campaign Funds Raised to Date: _____________________________________________
Previous Campaigns: ______________________________________________________
Offices Held Prior: ________________________________________________________
Other Endorsements: ______________________________________________________
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Organizational Affiliations: _________________________________________________
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Top Three Campaign Issues: ________________________________________________
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VALUES
1. Why are you running for office? What are the values you hope to bring to the Board of
Supervisors?
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A VOICE ON THE JOB
2. If elected, will you publicly support workers who are forming unions by reaffirming
the importance of unions to our communities and by taking actions such as working with
unions, contacting employers and urging them to not interfere with employee free choice,
issuing public statements, honoring picket lines, attending rallies, sponsoring public
forums, and otherwise supporting union organizing?
__________ YES

________ NO

Comments: ______________________________________________________________
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3. If the General Assembly passes legislation that would allow meet-and-confer or

collective bargaining for employee groups, would you support meet-and-confer or
collective bargaining in Fairfax County?
__________ YES

____________ NO

Comments: ______________________________________________________________
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4. Briefly explain what actions you have taken as a public official or private citizen that
demonstrate your commitment to helping workers achieve a voice on the job and in the
political process:
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QUALITY PUBLIC SERVICES
SEIU members are dedicated to delivering quality public services to the people of Fairfax
County. Families and business move to Fairfax and stay here because of the high
quality of our parks, schools, road maintenance and the wide variety of public services
that county employees provide. Yet, years of budget cuts to our mental health services,
social safety programs, libraries and more have made it harder for county employees to
do their jobs well and harder for county residents to access the programs they need.
5. Do you support funding positions at a level, which will attract the best talent and
provide the quality public services that a growing Fairfax County needs?
__________ YES ____________ NO
Comments: ______________________________________________________________
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6. Front-line employees have the first-hand knowledge to cut red-tape and find costsavings while maintaining quality services. Would you support a system where our
members could regularly provide feedback to agency directors and the Board regarding
improving services and/or efficiency? __________ YES ____________ NO
Comments: ______________________________________________________________
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MAINTAINING AND RECRUITING QUALITY EMPLOYEES

Fairfax County residents have come to expect high quality public services. In order to
meet the demands of local families and businesses, Fairfax County needs to recruit and
retain a quality workforce with a competitive pay and benefits package. However, years
of stagnant pay, increases in healthcare costs and the burden of unfilled positions have
caused increasing numbers of county employees to leave Fairfax. The Board of
Supervisors must take decisive steps to address this retention and recruitment crisis
FUNDING THE COUNTY PAY PLAN
After years of a Pay for Performance system, which treated lower pay grade
employees, African-Americans, Latinos, Hispanics and Asian-American and Pacific
Islanders unfairly, union members and the Board of Supervisors worked together to
develop a pay plan for county employees. This new pay plan helps provide certainty and
a sustainable, affordable path for county employees to move through their pay scale over
their careers. However, in its first year (FY16), the Board of Supervisors chose not to
fully fund the pay plan.
7. Do you support fully funding the pay plan and fulfilling the promise made to county
employees? __________ YES ____________ NO
8. Do you pledge to work with union members to find budget solutions to fully fund the
pay plan for county employees? __________ YES ____________ NO
Comments:
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QUALITY PAY AND BENEFITS
Fairfax County residents have come to expect the highest quality public services. In order
to meet the demands of local families and businesses, Fairfax County needs to recruit and
retain a quality workforce with a competitive pay and benefits package, including
pension. However, in recent years, Fairfax County has lost ground to neighboring
jurisdictions and is in danger of losing quality employees.

9. Do you support maintaining Fairfax Countys defined benefit pension system for
General County employees? __________ YES ____________ NO
10. Do you support working with employee unions to find solutions to ensure the longterm viability of the existing defined benefit pension system for all General County
employees? __________ YES ____________ NO
Comments: ______________________________________________________________
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11. In recent years, county employees have seen their health insurance costs increase
significantly while their paychecks have remained flat. Do you support working with
employee unions to find a long term viable solution to rising health care costs and
insurance premiums?
__________ YES

____________ NO

How would you address this issue? ___________________________________________

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12. What else will you do to help our members win fair wages and benefits?
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HEALTH AND SAFETY

13. In recent years, safety trainings have been reduced due to budgetary cut-backs. As a
result, the County has seen an increase in workers compensation and safety issues.
Unfortunately, many county employees are currently discouraged from filing workers
compensation. Instead of discouraging employees to file, our members believe that
investing in safety training will decrease workers compensation costs and protect the
health and safety of county employees. Would you support a safer workplace by restoring
training funds and requesting a review of workers compensation policies to provide
benefits that are fair?
__________ YES

____________ NO

Comments: ______________________________________________________________
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ADDRESSING ECONOMIC INEQUALITY
Economic inequality -- the gap between the wealthiest and average Americans -- is at its
worst levels in our nation's history. More and more Americans are struggling to make
ends meet, and the American dream may just be out of reach for the next generation.
This inequality threatens to undermine our economy, our community and our very
democracy. Here in Fairfax County, rising economic inequality and the growth of lowwage jobs are undermining the strength and security of our community and local families.
Thats why working Americans are coming together as part of the national Fight for 15
to raise wages for all hard-working Americans so that no one who works full time is
forced to live in poverty.
14. Will you support proposals to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour and index it to
inflation?
_____________ YES

____________ NO

Comments: ______________________________________________________________
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15. Many county employees make significantly less than $15/hour. Will you support
efforts to ensure that all county employees make at least $15/hour?
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_____________ YES

____________ NO

Comments: ______________________________________________________________
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16. Will you stand in solidarity with the Fight for 15 by issuing public statements,
attending rallies, sponsoring public forums, and otherwise supporting efforts to raise the
wages of hard-working people? _____________ YES ____________ NO
Comments: ______________________________________________________________
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QUALITY HOME CARE
Home care providers work hard to help Fairfaxs older adults and people with disabilities
lead healthy and full lives in their own homes and communities, as part of the states
Medicaid home care program. However, home care providers receive low wages (just
$11.70/hr in Northern Virginia), lack health care and other basic benefits, and receive
little job training and few opportunities for advancement. The resulting high turnover rate
among home care providers jeopardizes the health of our communitys older adults and
people with disabilities, and puts an undue burden on local governments, such as Fairfax
County.
17. Will you work with members of the General Assembly to improve funding for quality
Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services, including living wages and health
insurance for providers, and sufficient hours and services for older adults and people with
disabilities? _________YES _________ NO
How will you do so?
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Candidate Signature

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Date