0 Councilmember Sawant tells judge she'll represent herself at trial

SEATAC, Wash. - Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant told a SeaTac municipal court judge Thursday that she will represent herself in an upcoming trial for disorderly conduct prompted by her arrest in November during a protest.

On Nov. 19, Sawant and three others were arrested for not leaving a roadway during a protest against big airlines for not paying their workers a living wage.

Of those arrested, Sawant, Socrates Bravo and John Helmiere appeared together before a judge for a pretrial hearing. A judge exonerated their bail amounts.

Bravo handles baggage as a worker for Menzies, a company under contract with Alaska Airlines. Helmiere is a pastor of Valley and Mountain Church.

“We are on the right side of history,” Sawant said at a rally in the lobby of City Hall before the court hearing.

Afterward, Helmiere told KIRO 7 the arrest has been worth it.

“There’s been a lot more attention given to this case, or this situation, with the wage theft these workers have experienced, the intractability of Alaska Airlines in listening to the workers,” Helmiere said.

The protest was a response to a group of airlines that filed a lawsuit, alleging that the Port of Seattle has no authority to instruct airlines on issues such as employee training or wages.

When KIRO 7 asked Alaska Airlines for comment, a spokesperson sent a statement similar to what the company stated in November:

“Alaska Airlines supports fair-wage jobs and voluntarily increased wages last April for more than 1,000 vendor employees at the airport, prior to the Port of Seattle or the City of Seattle taking action. In addition to these substantial voluntarily wage increases, Alaska has invested millions of dollars in the SeaTac community focusing on career development, education and community wellness. With more than 6000 employees in the Puget Sound area, Alaska is committed to playing an active role in improving the communities in which our families live and work.”

One of Sawant’s opponents in the upcoming election in Seattle Council District 3, Rod Hearne, said he supports a higher minimum wage but disagrees with her tactics.

“I think it’s important for councilmembers to put the needs of the city ahead of their own personal agendas,” Hearne said.

Sawant said that in general, those who feel this is just her personal agenda are wrong.

“As a matter of fact, there is an incredible excitement among the people in Seattle, among the people in my district, that we finally have a voice in City Hall that actually has the courage to speak on these issues,” Sawant said.

She also said that like many people, she is capable of multi-tasking, to stand by workers like Bravo, while also attending to important issues of the day.

The trial for Sawant, Bravo and Helmiere on their disorderly conduct charges will happen in April, in SeaTac municipal court.

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