MLK Worker Innovation Center launches UNtemp

Union-backed, worker-led approach to temporary work launched in advance of World Cup games in Seattle

The following is from MLK Labor:

SEATTLE, WA (June 11, 2026) — The team at the MLK Worker Innovation Center has been working tirelessly over the last year and a half to ensure that the forecasted temporary work associated with the 2026 FIFA World Cup’s arrival in Seattle is held to the highest labor standards. We are proud to announce our latest innovation: UNtemp, a union-backed dispatch platform for temporary work.

UNtemp was developed in partnership with The Workers Lab’s team of designers and engineers. The web platform will be the hub connecting unionized cooperative members, MLK Worker Innovation Center administrative staff, and paying clients. UNtemp provides the agency and flexibility of gig work with the protections of a union contract.

To operate temporary work to the highest standards, we needed a model that enables gig workers to capture the full value of their labor and operate without intermediaries. Industry-specific cooperatives provide the structure for workers to coordinate jobs, pool resources, and sustain their work collectively. Our first two cooperatives are the SEIU 6 Property Services NW-represented Seattle Janitors Cooperative and Seattle Event Services Cooperative.

“FIFA’s arrival presented us with an unprecedented opportunity to change the temporary work landscape in Seattle for years to come. With UNtemp, we’re meeting the moment. I’m so excited to see the fruition of all of our hard work during this summer’s festivities and beyond,” said Rigo Valdez, President of the MLK Worker Innovation Center.

“Events like the World Cup have too often relied on temporary workers without giving them the respect or protections they deserve. UNtemp gives power directly to the workers who will make these games a success. We hope that UNtemp sets a new standard for worker-centered temporary employment,” said Katie Garrow, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of MLK Labor.

Thank you to SEIU 6, UFCW 3000, IATSE 15, King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, Movement Action Fund, FIFA Local Organizing Committee, and The Workers Lab for your guidance, resources, and partnership as we redefine temporary work.

Most importantly, thank you to the worker-members of our very first co-ops for taking these brave first steps with us. This model will continue to grow and thrive because of all of you.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. County Labor Council is King County, Washington’s central body of labor organization,  representing over 150 unions and more than 220,000 workers. Learn more at mlklabor.org.