October 1, 2022

Labor Council Endorses Stone and Mueller for County Board of Supervisors

Belmont Council Member Charles Stone and Menlo Park Council Member Ray Mueller are endorsed by the San Mateo Labor Council for County Supervisor in Districts 2 and 3. Labor’s endorsements are based on candidates’ track records in support of key labor union issues, and their responses in candidate questionnaires and in interviews conducted earlier this year.

San Mateo County Supervisor, District 2 - Charles Stone

Charles Stone rallied with AFSCME members on strike at Sequoia Hospital July 18, 2022, speaking up for a fair contract for the health care workers,

Belmont Council Member Charles Stone is endorsed in District 2, where Carole Groom is termed out. Groom endorsed Stone last month. Stone has been a strong supporter of unions and labor’s priorities as a council member and mayor in Belmont—leading the effort to raise the minimum wage, being accessible, and advocating for public sector employees. He received roughly 45 percent of the vote in the June 7 Primary and will face San Mateo-Foster City School District Trustee Noelia Corzo in November.

“As far back as I can remember, my parents instilled the importance of unions and the labor movement in me,” Stone said. “My father was a lifetime member of Musicians Local 6. My mother, a teacher, was a member of the California Teachers Association. I was taught—and I continue to believe—that strong unions and a strong labor movement create fair working conditions and help equalize wealth and income distribution. It is my hope that I can continue to work hand in hand with the labor movement as I have for the last near decade in public office.”

Stone said he is running for supervisor, “because I love this county and I want to see it become a leader in affordable housing, vibrant transit, and equity.” He noted that the County programs provide a social safety net for residents, and funds the County receives through Medicaid should be spent to help expand health care coverage for those in need. He said the County has not done enough to support housing affordability, and could build affordable housing on County-owned land or by converting facilities like the juvenile hall into housing. Stone said he would ensure that workers building affordable housing are paid prevailing wages.

Stone has been a member of the SamTrans board for seven years, during which SamTrans increased equity initiatives—including adopting a 50 percent reduction in fares for low- income residents, launching a program to give students who financially qualify for the reduced or free school lunch program free rides, and expanding the GoPass program that provides free passes for workers at large employers.

As a councilmember, Stone helped lead the effort to form the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department that includes Belmont, San Mateo and Foster City.

Stone has walked picket lines with striking Stationary Engineers at Kaiser and AFSCME members at Burlingame Long Term Care and Sequoia Hospital, speaking up for fair contracts for the health care workers, and has stood with UNITE HERE Local 2 members, SEIU-USWW passenger service workers and AFA-CWA flight attendants in their fights for fair contracts at SFO.

For more information, check www.stoneforsupervisor.org.

County Supervisor, District 3 - Ray Mueller

Ray Mueller, speaking up for faira contract for AFSCME members on strike at Sequoia Hospital July 18, 2022,

Menlo Park City Councilmember Ray Mueller is endorsed by the Labor Council in District 3, where Don Horsley is termed-out. Mueller received the most votes in the June Primary and will face San Carlos City Councilmember Laura Parmer-Lohan in the General Election. Mueller received about 36 percent of the vote, and Parmer-Lohan about 31 percent.
Mueller’s record as an elected official includes working to raise the minimum wage in Menlo Park in 2019, voting to give city employees hazard pay bonuses during the pandemic, approving new inclusionary affordable housing, and supporting good union construction jobs for projects in Menlo Park.

Mueller said his priorities include creating a City/County supported Coastal Infrastructure Strategic Plan, increasing funding for health care and hospitals and wildfire mitigation, and ensuring an equitable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic for all residents. Mueller said he wants to make sure people have access to quality child-care and medical and mental health services, and that he would work with cities to build more housing at all levels of affordability.
Mueller stood with striking AFSCME members at Sequoia Hospital fighting for a fair contract. Mueller noted that health care workers have made sacrifices during the pandemic and thanked them for standing up for the rights of all health care workers.

For more information, check www.raymuellerforsupervisor.com.