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Tiny Houses, Big Hearts
Seattle is known for its temperate but rainy weather. In the middle of winter, this seaport city can drop to below freezing. Rain pours and turns to sleet, maybe even snowfall and ice. For those tucked into their warm beds, this is just another winter. For the homeless in Seattle, this is a dangerous time. With only the clothes on their backs, no food or shelter, the homeless are forced to wrap themselves in discarded paper, plastic and cardboard to insulate their bodies against the cold and wet season. They huddle under bridges or on the pier past Pike Place market, take a deep breath, close their eyes and pray they make it through the night to see a slightly warmer sunrise of another winter day.
The reality is there are over 1.5 million homeless people in the U.S. and to many they are invisible. They are observed and easily forgotten while we go on with our lives, but that wasn’t the case for three Teamster locals including Locals 174 members at the Boeing Company, along with members of the Seattle King County Building Trades, the Machinists Union and the Martin Luther King County Labor Council. In April 2017, they took a stand, said enough is enough and the Teamsters took action.
With the help of Dale Bright, President of M.L. King County Labor Council, Mary Keefe of Local 763, and Jason Chan, Vice President of IAM District 751, who helped raise funds and recruit over 50 union members to volunteer their time, the Teamsters built and donated two tiny houses to the Licton Springs Village, the sixth homeless encampment to open in the city of Seattle.
Helping the Vulnerable
“The Teamsters Union exists to help the community, whether it is working people or homeless people down on their luck,” said Joint Council 28 President Rick Hicks. “These tiny houses provide the most vulnerable among us with something that all humans deserve: a place to sleep that is safe and warm. The very first tiny house at the Licton Springs Village was given to a homeless Iraq War veteran. We believe that all people should be treated with dignity and respect, and providing these tiny houses to the homeless is a good start.”
Dave Martin, a Local 174 member and driver for Boeing, delivered the two tiny houses, and said, “This was an uplifting and gratifying feeling.”
This incredible effort and selflessness shown by so many Teamster members, who took a stand and partnered with community organizations to help better the lives of others, give back, and create change, is just one story of Teamsters who continue to fight for economic and social justice every day.