WSLC welcomes Sierra Turner as 2023 Legislative Intern

OLYMPIA (Jan. 17, 2023) — Sierra Turner is the 2023 Legislative Intern for the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO during the legislative session that began last week. She will help develop and coordinate the council’s legislative advocacy for Washington working families while helping to build relationships with affiliated unions, legislators and coalition partners.

Turner worked as a grocery clerk in Olympia and became passionate about the union movement after witnessing the mistreatment of her co-workers during the COVID pandemic. She became a UFCW Local 367 shop steward, and later an intern with her union, as she worked to improve safety conditions and win hazard pay for these frontline workers.

In 2021, she participated in the Washington State Labor Council’s Union Summer program where she worked closely with organizers from SEIU Healthcare 1199NW. Last year, she was as a Special Projects Coordinator with the Washington Federation of State Employees, AFSCME Council 28 doing internal member organizing and assisting union representative with worksite events.

“The Washington State Labor Council is very fortunate to welcome Sierra on our legislative team for the 2022 session,” said Sybill Hyppolite, WSLC Government Affairs Director. “Sierra has demonstrated her passion for unions and labor values, and her commitment to improving working conditions for all workers. She’s already proving to be an essential part of our team by helping us organize our efforts in Olympia this year.”

A graduate of The Evergreen State College and Cornell University’s Strategic Corporate Research Summer School, Turner hopes to continue to develop her advocacy skills and network as the WSLC’s Legislative Intern.

“I’m very excited to learn as much as I can about the legislative process and continue my work in the labor movement,” she said. “I’ve been looking forward to rejoining the WSLC team and working together to improve the lives of workers across Washington. I also hope to strengthen my research skills and develop connections with people from many unions.”

The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO is the largest union organization in the state, representing the interests of more than 600 local unions and councils with some 550,000 rank-and-file members. Learn more at wslc.org.