WSLC delegates adopt slate of resolutions

From growing union jobs to changing labor law, here are some of the resolutions passed by delegates at the 2026 WSLC Constitutional Convention

WENATCHEE, WA (July 30, 2026) — At each Washington State Labor Council Convention, delegates representing affiliated unions submit, discuss, and vote on resolutions to help guide the work of the Council moving forward. With a two-thirds vote threshold required, resolutions adopted by delegates represent broad consensus within Washington’s labor movement about strategy, policymaking, and priorities.

“Workers decide the path forward for Washington’s labor movement on some of the most pressing issues of the moment,” said WSLC President April Sims and Secretary Treasurer Cherika Carter. “We’re energized to dig into the work entrusted to the WSLC by delegates to our Convention and continue building power and expanding economic opportunities for Washington’s working families.”

In total, more than 30 resolutions were passed by delegates at last week’s gathering in Wenatchee. Here are a few highlights:

Supporting the Washington Building Trades Jobs Package | Resolution 2026.04

Stalled projects, delayed investments, and regulatory barriers have left thousands of building and construction trades workers out of work in Washington state. Delegates adopted a resolution calling on the WSLC and Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council to work together to advance a jobs package in the 2027 legislative session to overcome these systemic obstacles to good jobs and invest in Washington’s workforce.

Photos: SPEEA, UNITE HERE Local 8, Owain Waszak, WSBCTC, WFSE

Right to Strike for State Employees | Resolution 2026.06

Delegates adopted a resolution to advance the push for a right to strike for state employees. Public workers currently in contract negotiations with the state are planning a walkout for August 31 but the law does not protect a right to strike, an essential — albeit last-resort — tool for securing a fair contract. Per the resolution: “[The Office of Financial Management] (OFM) and other state employers have used this omission as a cudgel against state employee unions during the collective bargaining process.” The resolution directs the WSLC to convene public sector unions to develop strategy for securing the right to strike for public workers. 

Opposing Federal USPS Rules That Threaten Mail Voting and Democracy | Resolution 2026.08

Defending democracy in the face of federal attacks on the vote-by-mail system that has long flourished in the state, delegates adopted a resolution calling the WSLC to work with Washington’s congressional delegation to defeat any federal legislation that threatens mail voting and state control of elections. Such legislation is, “a reckless assault on democratic participation that would weaponize governmental authority to erect barriers between voters and the ballot box,” per the resolution.

In Support of the 32 Hour Workweek with No Loss in Pay of Benefits | Resolution 2026.12

Drawing on successful trials in the UK, Ireland, Japan and closer to home in San Juan County, delegates adopted a resolution for a 32-hour work week, arguing that if automation and artificial intelligence are increasing worker productivity — and corporate profits — workers should reap the benefits of those productivity increases, working fewer hours without losing pay.

In Support of SPEEA Members in Contract Negotiations with the Boeing Company | Resolution 2026.13

With their contracts set to expire in October, members of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace IFPTE Local 2001 (SPEEA) are in the thick of negotiations with Boeing for the first time in a decade. Delegates adopted a resolution directing the WSLC to urge Boeing to bargain in good faith and, should a labor dispute occur, work with SPEEA and Council affiliates to coordinate solidarity efforts in support of workers and their families. (For regular updates on these negotiations, follow SPEEA on social media.

Supporting Full Organizing and Card Check Rights for Washington State Agricultural Workers | Resolution 2026.26

Delegates affirmed support for changing Washington law to enshrine the right to organize and collectively bargain for farmworkers who are excluded from federal labor laws. In partnership with Familias Unidas por la Justicia and United Farm Workers, WSLC fought for legislation in the 2026 session that would’ve changed that law; Washington’s labor movement is committed to pushing that legislation over the finish line.

“I am a member of the United Farm Workers,” said Fortino Lopez, a UFW member and worker leader who spoke to the WSLC convention in support of the resolution. “We need to pass a law so that other farm workers can organize and can enjoy the many benefits of unionization that my coworkers and I enjoy. For too long, farm workers have been forgotten. ¡Si Se Puede!”

In Favor of Artificial Intelligence Tools that Supplement Workers, Not Replace Them | Resolution 2026.30

Delegates adopted a resolution calling on the WSLC to, “support and prioritize policies that protect worker data privacy, minimize and limit the proliferation of electronic employer monitoring, its use and deployment, and protect workers by supporting policies that minimize what and how algorithmic management systems (or Automated data Systems, or similar) make employment-related decisions, and support policies that require a human in the loop of such decisions.” The resolution also calls for the WSLC to fight for the right of every Washington worker to bargain over the use of AI in the workplace and to advocate for a job retraining program for workers who lose their jobs because of AI.

In Solidarity with Striking Hotel Workers | Resolution 2026.33

UNITE HERE Local 8 members remain on strike at the Embassy Suites hotel in Seattle’s Pioneer Square. Now in their second month on strike, delegates adopted a resolution pledging support for hotel workers’ fight for a fair contract. Picket lines are running daily from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in front of the hotel (255 South King Street, Seattle).

Affiliates can contact WSLC Secretary Treasurer Cherika Carter at ccarter@wslc.org to request the full text of all resolutions from the 2026 Convention. All resolutions from previous years are available on the WSLC website.