WSLC welcomes powerful speakers to Convention

Here’s a preview of the annual WSLC Convention in Vancouver

VANCOUVER, WA (July 8, 2025) — Convening under the theme “Our Voice, Our Power, Our Movement,” hundreds of union members will gather in Vancouver, Washington from July 22 through July 24 for the Washington State Labor Council’s annual Convention.

The gathering will convene Tuesday morning with opening remarks from WSLC President April Sims and a keynote from Fred Redmond, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO. Redmond, a steelworker by trade, was elected to his post in 2021, becoming the highest ranking African American officer in the history of America’s labor movement. Alongside AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, Redmond has been a leading voice in the fight to defend working people and our unions.

On Wednesday, WSLC Secretary Treasurer Cherika Carter will speak, followed by a keynote from Stacy Davis Gates, President of the Chicago Teachers Union. Davis Gates was elected in 2022, after leading a 15-day strike and negotiating a historic contract for Chicago teachers in 2019, radically improving class sizes, ensuring a nurse and social worker in every Chicago public school, securing sanctuary protections for immigrant families, and creating supports for students and families experiencing homelessness.

Davis Gates also serves as Executive Vice President of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, Vice President of the American Federation of Teachers, and Chair of United Working Families.

Closing out the Convention on Thursday will be Nia Winston, newly-elected as Secretary-Treasurer of UNITE HERE! Winston got her start as a casino worker, then as an organizer for more than 15 years, a UNITE HERE! General Vice President and a local leader representing workers across Michigan and Ohio. She is the first woman to rise through the ranks to become Secretary-Treasurer in her union.

“Convention is where union members and leaders come together to fight for joy and justice,” said Sims. “Hundreds of labor siblings will gather together at the end of this month to learn, strategize, and grow community. We’re excited to welcome leaders like Fred Redmond, Stacy Davis Gates, and Nia Winston to join us this year to share their vision for a fighting labor movement.”

Governor Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown will make special appearances, sharing how their offices are taking action to defend and protect working people.

Labor leaders Heather Kurtenbach, Executive Secretary of the Washington State Building & Construction Trades Council, and Graham Trainor, President of the Oregon AFL-CIO will also address the Convention body. Kurtenbach, an Iron Worker and former Political Director for Iron Workers Local 86 , represents thousands of workers in the trades across Washington State.

Trainor has led the Oregon AFL-CIO since 2019, the youngest person ever elected to this role. From a union family, Trainor brings his experience as a community organizer to his leadership in Oregon’s labor movement, serving alongside Secretary-Treasurer Sarina Roher, RN.

Plenary sessions will be livestreamed Tuesday and Wednesday morning starting at 9:00 a.m. on the WSLC Facebook page and can be watched after the sessions conclude on TVW.com. Guests can also pay a fee to attend public sessions of the WSLC Convention. To learn more, contact Willa Kamakahi at wkamakahi@wslc.org.

The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO is the largest labor organization in Washington, representing more than 650 local unions and 600,000 working people statewide.