Rebecca “Becky” Wasserman is the director of government relations at the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)1 and a self-described “organizer for racial and economic justice.” 2
She is on the board of directors of the left-wing Local Progress group3 and the left-of-center Center for Community Change (CCC),4 has made contributions to the left-wing Working Families Party National Political Action Committee,5 and has received organizing training from the far-left Wellstone Action (currently known as RePower) and the left-wing community organizing training center Midwest Academy. 6
Career
Wasserman joined Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in 2015 as the deputy director of government relations and was promoted to director of government affairs in 2018. 1 She describes herself as an “organizer for racial and economic justice” on her Twitter profile. 2
In 2019, Wasserman co-signed a letter with the liberal National Employment Law Project (NELP) and the Child Labor Coalition opposing proposed U.S. Department of Labor changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act. 7
Prior to working at SEIU, Wasserman was the director of campaigns and organizing for American Jewish World Service, where she organized a new department within the organization. 1 From 2010 to 2012, Wasserman was the deputy director of government affairs at the left-of-center lobbying organization focused on American-Israeli relations J Street, where she designed and executed advocacy trainings for grassroots activists for J Street’s national field network. 8
Wasserman was government relations manager at the now-defunct American Rights at Work from 2004 to 2010, where she advocated for changes to national labor law to ease union organizing. 1
Wasserman also owns her own consulting firm, Wasserman Consulting. 9
Activist Roles
Wasserman sits on the board of directors of the left-wing Local Progress group3 and the left-of-center Center for Community Change (CCC). She is the co-chair of CCC’s fundraising and resource innovation center4 and on the advisory committee of Our Story Hub, a project of the Proteus Fund, which advises left-of-center politicians and groups on communication strategies. 10
From 2002 to 2004, Wasserman was president of the left-of-center United States Student Association (USSA), which supports race-based social policy implementation in the education field. 1 As vice president of USSA, she spoke at the 2003 National Student Labor Week of Action in Chicago, IL. 6
Wasserman has been trained by the left-of-center Rockwood Leadership program, the far-left Wellstone Action (currently known as RePower), and the left-wing community organizing training center Midwest Academy. 6
Political Activism and Contributions
Wasserman has a history of donations to left-of-center and left-wing political action committees and Democratic Party political candidates. Since 2018, Wasserman has regularly contributed to SEIU COPE, the SEIU’s political action committee. 11
In 2019, Wasserman donated money to the Democratic Party primary campaign of Christina Tzintzun Ramirez, who sought to unseat Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). 12 In 2018, Wasserman donated money to the left-wing Working Families Party National Political Action Committee;5 the left-of-center Be a Hero PAC, which opposes right-leaning judicial nominations;13 Liz Watson’s Democratic Party campaign for Congress,14 and other Democratic Party congressional candidates.
Wasserman has also contributed to the campaigns of Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)15 and the left-of-center lobbying organization PowerPAC+. 16
Lobbying
Wasserman has been a listed lobbyist and lobbied on behalf of J Street from 2010 to 2012 and the left-of-center labor activism group American Rights at Work from 2007 to 2010. 17
Early Life and Personal Information
Rebecca “Becky” Wasserman was born in Swampscott, Massachusetts. She received her B.A. in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2002. 1 She resides in Silver Spring, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. 5
References
- “Rebecca Wasserman.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed July 15, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccawasserman/.
- “Becky Wasserman.” Twitter Profile. Accessed July 15, 2021. https://twitter.com/wasserwoman?lang=en
- “Board Members.” Local Progress. Accessed July 15, 2021. https://localprogress.org/who-we-are/board-members/.
- “Board of Directors.” Community Change. Accessed July 15, 2021. https://communitychange.org/board-of-directors/.
- Wasserman, Rebecca. Political Contribution. Federal Elections Committee Database. December 31, 2020. Accessed July 16, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=rebecca%20wasserman.
- “Students & Workers Unite for Justice.” Highlights Document. 2003 National Student Labor Week of Action. March 31-April 4, 2003. Accessed July 16, 2021. http://studentlabor.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/NSLWoA-2003-Highlights.pdf.
- Christine Owens, Rebecca Wasserman, and Reid Maki. “Complaint Against USDOL for Violating Information Quality Act in Proposed Rule to Roll Back Child Labor Protections.” National Employment Law Project. February 11, 20219. Accessed July 16, 2021. http://stage.nelp.org/publication/complaint-usdol-violating-information-quality-act-proposed-rule-roll-back-child-labor-protections/.
- “Board Members.” Local Progress. Accessed July 16, 2021. https://localprogress.org/who-we-are/board-members/.
- “Rebecca Wasserman.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed July 16, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccawasserman/.
- “Advisory Committee.” Our Story Hub. Accessed July 15, 2021. https://www.ourstoryhub.org/index.php/home/about/who-we-are/.
- Wasserman, Rebecca. Political Contribution. Federal Elections Committee Database. May 28, 2021. Accessed July 16, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=rebecca%20wasserman
- Wasserman, Rebecca. Political Contribution. Federal Elections Committee Database. August 23, 2019. Accessed July 16, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=rebecca%20wasserman.
- July 30, 2018. Accessed July 16, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=rebecca%20wasserman.
- June 18, 2018. Accessed July 16, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=rebecca%20wasserman
- June 30, 2010. Accessed July 16, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=rebecca%20wasserman.
- September 7, 2014. Accessed July 16, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=rebecca%20wasserman.
- “Rebecca Wasserman.” Legistorm. Accessed July 16, 2021. https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/89045/Rebecca_Wasserman.html.