SEIU Local 509 Endorses Brookline’s Raul Fernandez In State Rep. Race

BROOKLINE, MA — SEIU Local 509, which represents nearly 20,000 human service workers across Massachusetts, has endorsed Raul Fernandez for State Representative.

“SEIU 509 is extremely proud to endorse Raul Fernandez for State Representative,” Peter MacKinnon, President of SEIU 509, said in a statement. "As an SEIU 509 member from a union family, Raul knows that racial justice and economic equity require organizing and worker power – and we know he is dedicated to creating a Massachusetts where everyone thrives. As a State Representative, Raul will deliver urgent action for our community members who need it most.”

Fernandez, the former Vice-Chair of the Brookline Select Board and a member of SEIU 509, has made economic justice a hallmark of his career and campaign. He is running against incumbent Rep. Tommy Vitolo for 15th Norfolk State House seat.

According to his campaign, his accomplishments include leading an ongoing effort to establish a paid parental leave program for municipal employees, successfully calling on town officials to investigate and combat wage theft, championing the town’s ban on non-disclosure agreements for municipal employees in cases of discrimination and harassment, ensuring that Brookline’s safety-net fund is available to anyone employed in Brookline, and pushing through an ARPA proposal that will eliminate the utility debt of more than 1,000 households in Brookline.

“I’m a proud member of SEIU Local 509, and it’s a distinct honor to receive this endorsement,” Fernandez said in a statement. "I’m the only candidate in this race who is a union member, and that’s shown me that transformative change is driven by people working together from the ground up — not by backroom deals. I’m incredibly excited to partner with SEIU Local 509, and all working people, to build power and deliver on a more equitable Massachusetts.”

In addition to SEIU Local 509, Fernandez has also been endorsed by two-term State Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz, Brookline Select Board member and 2020 Congressional candidate Jesse Mermell, former Congressman Joe Kennedy, Brookline Public Health Advisory Council Chair and 2020 Congressional candidate Natalia Linos, Brookline Select Board Member Dr. Miriam Aschkenasy, 28 locally elected officials including Cambridge Mayor Submul Siddiqui, Brookline School Committee Members Suzanne Federspiel and Mariah Nobrega, Brookline Asian American Family Network Chair Chi Chi Wu, SEIU Local 888, Progressive Mass, Mass Alliance, Act on Mass, Incorruptible Mass, Brookline for Racial Justice and Equity, and the Brookline Equity Coalition.