WSLC releases 2026 Session Snapshot, Legislative Scorecard

After a busy short session, Washington’s largest labor organization is highlighting wins, losses — and how every legislator voted on some of labor’s highest priorities

OLYMPIA, WA (March 30, 2026) — With the dust of a busy short session settling, the Washington State Labor Council has released a brief overview of progress made in sixty days of non-stop committee meetings and floor votes. The “Session Snapshot” captures top lines from legislative action on revenue, the 2026 supplemental budget, and some of the many policy priorities organized labor advocated for in Olympia this year. The council has also released it’s annual Legislative Scorecard, listing legislators’ votes either for or against pro-worker legislation, as well as legislators’ 2026 and lifetime labor voting record.

“With significant work before legislators in a short session, union members made sure working people’s voices were considered in difficult decisions about policy, revenue, and the state budget,” said WSLC President April Sims. “Labor worked with legislators on both sides of the aisle to secure historic victories for working families. Thanks to the advocacy of thousands of union workers, our state made progress expanding collective bargaining, improving working conditions, and protecting worker rights on the job.”

Top, from left: participants in the 2026 Farmworker Tribunal (Photo: Sattva Photo/Community to Community; union members rallying for the Millionaire tax (Photo: The STAND); workers celebrating passage of the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights (Photo: Casa Latina). Bottom, from left: union members marching for revenue (Photo: The STAND); construction workers during the Mental Health Day of Action (Photo: The STAND); union members rallying for the Millionaire Tax (Photo: The STAND).

“Washington’s labor movement worked every day of this short session to improve conditions for working families,” said John Traynor, WSLC Government Affairs Director. “From establishing labor protections for domestic workers, including mental and behavioral health training in apprenticeships, creating a Childcare Workforce Standards Board, and passing a Millionaire Tax that provides tax relief to working families, organized labor secured significant wins for workers this session.”

Supplemental budgets are also considered in a short session. With a steep budget shortfall anticipated — in the wake of significant federal cuts to funds for healthcare and human services — legislators faced some tough choices to balance the budget over four years, as required by law. Ultimately, the budget was balanced through a combination of cuts — most significantly to early learning — transfers into the General Fund, and repealing job-creating tax incentives. In an effort to secure stable revenue for future budgets, the Legislature passed a 9.9% tax on annual income over $1 million; while this legislation will undoubtedly face challenges in the courts and likely the ballot box, it represents significant effort towards aligning Washington’s antiquated tax code with the state’s modern economy.

For more detail on policy wins and losses, budget, and revenue, check out the 2026 Session Snapshot.

The WSLC also released it’s annual Legislative Scorecard, which lists votes on key policies (13 votes in the Senate, 12 in the House) and tracks legislators’ lifetime voting records on labor priorities. In the 2026 session, 75 legislators came away with a 100% pro-worker voting record; 47 legislators maintained a 100% lifetime pro-worker record. The full scorecard and a list of which bills had votes assessed by the council is available on the WSLC’s Legislative Advocacy webpage.