Seattle Convention Center workers rally for fair pay

Workers represented by multiple unions took their ongoing contract fight public during gaming convention PAX West

SEATTLE, WA (September 15, 2025) — Hospitality workers, parking attendants, security officers, and other workers at the Seattle Convention Center took to the streets on Labor Day, calling attention to their ongoing fight for a fair contract during one of the nation’s largest gamer conventions, PAX West.

The workers are represented by a coalition of unions – SEIU Local 6, Teamsters Local 117, and UniteHere Local 8 – and have been locked in negotiations the coalition characterized as “frustrating” for five months. At issue are proposed wages that don’t keep up with inflation and proposals to saddle workers with higher out-of-pocket medical costs, per the union coalition.

The Seattle Convention Center. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69665155

Teamsters 117 reports that employees at the Seattle Convention Center already earn less than workers at comparable event venues in the area. That wage gap is creating staffing shortages as workers are choosing to instead work shifts at higher-paying locations, forcing the convention center to struggle with coverage.

The rally coincided with a massive gamer convention, PAX West, which since it’s founding in the early 2000s has become one of the largest gaming gatherings in North America. It’s one of many events that bring over 300,000 visitors to the convention center every years.

In a statement following the action, Paul Dascher, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117, called on the employer to settle a fair contract with the workers, without whom the venue could not function.

“Convention Center management needs to stop taking these workers for granted, stop increasing their medical expenses, and pay them wages that are at the very least in line with industry standards,” said Dascher.