Celebrating Pride and the fight for equality
Dear fellow King County employee, Happy Pride Month! Every June we celebrate Pride and honor the fight for equality and equal rights for LGBTQ+ people that began in June of 1969 with the Stonewall Riots led by trans women of color. Pride is a time to recognize the accomplishments and many contributions of LGBTQ+ people to our communities here in King County and around the world, to our shared history and our shared future. It is a time to reflect on the adversities that LGBTQ+ people have faced throughout history and their… Read More
Juneteenth an observed County holiday, June 20
King County government will observe Juneteenth as a new paid holiday for the first time this year, on Monday, June 20. Last year, King County Council passed two Ordinances and King County bargained Agreements for represented employees to establish Juneteenth (June 19) and Indigenous Peoples’ Day (second Monday in October) as paid holidays starting in 2022 for King County employees who are eligible for comprehensive leave benefits. Click here to read more.
Honoring the fallen
On Memorial Day, observed on the last Monday of each May, we honor the more than 1.2 million military personnel who have given their lives in service to our country. We pay tribute to those who bravely answered the call to protect and preserve freedom here at home and around the world. We take this time to also honor the families of those who did not come home. We owe a debt of gratitude to all who have served, and particularly to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. As a community, we must… Read More
King County Law Library webinar: Executive Order 9066 and Japanese Incarceration
As part of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander heritage month, the King County Law Library recently hosted a webinar titled “Executive Order 9066 and Japanese Incarceration.” The first part of this program is a screening of Alternative Facts – a film that uncovers the history of lies used to justify the incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans. It was followed by a powerful panel discussion with the filmmaker Jon Osaki, attorney, author, and former Seattle University School of Law professor Lorraine Bannai, and King County Superior Court Presiding Judge Patrick Oishi. The discussion was moderated by attorney Serin… Read More
Metro takes Womens Transportation Seminar (WTS) participants on tours of innovative transit projects
Cross-posted from Metro Matters King County Metro is always working to improve mobility around the region and is committed to sharing approaches with other agencies. This past week, Seattle hosted attendees of the WTS International Conference and Metro rolled out the welcome mat. WTS promotes the advancement of women in the transportation industry, and its conferences attract some of the most influential and innovative thinkers in transit. Dozens of attendees took advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the history and operations of several of Metro’s exciting transportation projects and innovations. WTS… Read More
KCTV celebrates Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander month
There’s a saying in Vietnamese, “Uống nước nhớ nguồn” that translates to “when you drink from a river, remember its origins.” Throughout the month of May, KCTV will feature local AANHPI leaders each week to see how their past is connected to the present. Week two features Shawn Wong, a Chinese-American University of Washington professor and author. When Wong was coming up as a young writer in the 1970s, he wanted to know: Where are all the Asian American authors? Fifty years later, through publishing, writing and teaching, Shawn has worked to make Asian… Read More
Seattle Pride Parade is back and King County is marching
Mark your calendars for Sunday, June 26 at 11 a.m. to join your colleagues representing King County in the 2022 Seattle Pride parade. Participants will be required to show proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test in order to participate. T-shirts will be available for sale, so stand by for more information. There will be 150 adult size t-shirts available at no cost on a first-come, first-serve basis the morning of the parade. Further details about when and where we will meet for the Parade will be sent out once it is available. To stay up to date on all things related… Read More
KCTV celebrates Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander month
There’s a saying in Vietnamese, “Uống nước nhớ nguồn” that translates to “when you drink from a river, remember its origins.” Throughout the month of May, KCTV will feature local AANHPI leaders each week to see how their past is connected to the present. This week features Rachel Yang, a Korean-American chef and James Beard nominee that co-owns the Relay Restaurant Group, which includes the popular Joule and Revel restaurants. You can see the YouTube video here and Facebook video here. Watch for upcoming features including artist Erin Shigaki, writer and UW Professor Shawn Wong, and… Read More
Equity in vaccination is a community effort
Cross-posted from Public Health Insider As of this month, over 85% of all eligible King County residents have completed their vaccination series. If you look at just residents ages 16 and older, over 80% have received the two-dose series across racial groups and geographies in King County. The high levels of vaccination are even more striking in light of existing and continuing inequities that have created obstacles to vaccination for people. Read more here about how this effort came to succeed.
King County celebrates Women in Technology Day, March 26
In recognition of Women’s History Month, King County Executive Dow Constantine has issued a proclamation celebrating Women In Technology Day on March 26, 2022. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only about 25% of jobs in the tech industry are held by women – this is the lowest percentage of women in technology since before 1980. Hispanic and African American women are the most under-represented groups, making up only 4% of the computing workforce, and almost no senior leadership roles.
Employee News 