
WSLC Wednesdays is a feature of The Stand where different departments of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO describe their recent activities and the services they are providing to WSLC-affiliated unions. Climate jobs efforts are already paying off (May 24) — The WSLC and its affiliated unions are working to center quality job creation […]
Feb 27 2023 | Posted in
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(Jan. 28, 2021) — Many have heard the song “Nine to Five” by Dolly Parton or seen the 1980s film of the same name starring Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda. Yet few know that these two icons of popular culture were based on a social movement that started in Boston in the early 1970s. […]
Jan 28 2021 | Posted in
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(October 2016) — Jeff Johnson, President of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, is writing a series of opinion columns for The Stand about state and local ballot measures for 2016. The WSLC is the largest labor organization in Washington state, representing the interests of more than 600 union organizations with approximately 450,000 rank-and-file members. […]

Friday, June 6, 2014 WHY? LOCAL ► In today’s Seattle Times — Small-business group, Eyman challenge Seattle’s $15 wage plan — A group of small-business owners filed for a city charter amendment to raise the minimum wage to $12.50, phased in over five years. Earlier, anti-tax activist Tim Eyman filed a […]
Jun 6 2014 | Posted in
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On March 5, the State Senate passed SB 5566, which would allow employers in Washington state to settle workers’ compensation claims with “compromise-and-release” lump-sum buyouts of injured workers. This would be a radical change for the state’s workers’ compensation system, which is a national model for its low costs and high benefits — a system […]

Imagine a company that does business in every county in Washington state, pumping billions in payroll dollars into our economy. Better still, this company is counter-cyclical, ramping up hiring and payroll when the state economy is struggling. The rest of the business community and public officials all benefit thanks to increased consumer spending and tax […]

Washington is considered a low-cost, high-benefit state One of the most persistent myths about Washington state’s business climate is that our workers’ compensation costs are higher than in most other states. The fact that many employers and public policymakers believe this to be true is another indication of the power and resonance of the negative […]

National rankings contradict negative internal rhetoric (April 22, 2011) — If Al Franken was still on Saturday Night Live portraying life coach and self-confidence guru Stuart Smalley (instead of serving in the U.S. Senate), some of our state’s elected leaders could have a session in front of his mirror repeating, “We’re good […]