Widely considered to be the "voice of labor" in our state, the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, represents and provides services for hundreds of local unions throughout Washington state.
The WSLC’s core programs are legislative advocacy, political action, communications and media relations, plus assistance with organizing campaigns. Learn more about the services we provide our affiliated unions and directly to workers.
The WSLC is a voluntary organization. All union locals and councils that are affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) are eligible to affiliate. Some unions outside the AFL-CIO may also affiliate via the Solidarity Charter program or the AFL-CIO/NEA Labor Solidarity Partnership.
Although not every AFL-CIO local or council is affiliated, the WSLC represents the official position of the AFL-CIO in Washington state. It operates by consensus and has no legal or constitutional authority to impose a position or policy on any local union or trade council.
WSLC Directory — Each year, the WSLC publishes a Directory of Union Organizations in Washington State. (Download the latest edition.) Unions that would like to submit changes to their organization’s principal officer, address or contact information, should fill out this form.
WSLC officers are elected by affiliated members every four years. The elected officers are the President, the Secretary-Treasurer and the 32 Vice Presidents, who together comprise the WSLC Executive Board. The board meets quarterly and establishes the WSLC’s policies and programs in between conventions.
Conventions are held annually. Delegates to WSLC conventions debate and establish the organization’s positions or policies on issues, candidates and programs by voting on motions and resolutions. Any credentialed delegate may introduce motions to the convention, and any affiliate may submit resolutions to the convention.
Currently, there more than 600 local unions affiliated with the WSLC, representing approximately 550,000 rank-and-file union members working in our state. The WSLC is the largest labor organization in our state and is the only organization representing all AFL-CIO unions in the state.
For more information, see the WSLC Constitution and By-Laws.