Union-made World Cup in Seattle

Local unions have secured a Labor Standards Agreement covering the 2026 FIFA World Cup Fan Festival in Seattle

SEATTLE, WA (November 19, 2024) — On Friday, 18 local unions and MLK Labor, the central labor council for King County, signed a Labor Standards Agreement with the Seattle Organizing Committee for the FIFA World Cup Fan Fest, ensuring strong labor standards during the worldwide competition coming to Seattle in 2026.

For the 2026 World Cup, Seattle is one of 16 host cities spread out across North America. This makes the upcoming tournament one of the largest ever held, and the Fan Festival is a quintessential part of the World Cup experience, typically held in every host city. It’s a central gathering space where fans come together to watch games and cheer on their team, and it’s massive, bringing together dedicated fans and casual observers alike to get in the World Cup spirit. During the 2026 tournament in Seattle, the Fan Fest will be at Seattle Center.

Representatives from MLK Labor, local unions, and King County pose for a photo at the agreement’s signing. Photo: MLK Labor

For several years, local unions have been working together through an organizing initiative at MLK Labor to ensure that the influx of jobs that the World Cup is bringing to Seattle are quality, good-paying jobs for our region’s workers. In July, delegates to the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO Convention passed a resolution outlining the importance of ensuring the World Cup in Seattle is union-made.

Per MLK Labor, the agreement signed last week is the first of its kind in the United States for 2026 World Cup Fan Fests, and is the third agreement the group of unions have signed with the Seattle World Cup organizing committee overall. Those two other agreements are with First and Goal, Inc — the operator of Lumen Field where games will be played — and with the operators of Seattle Waterfront Park.

As cities all over North America prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the signatory unions are hopeful that Seattle labor’s organizing can serve as a model for other host cities to make sure the World Cup provides both tourist dollars and good union jobs.