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Washington State Labor Council Calls For Farm Worker Unionization Law [1]

['Alan Singer', 'Chitown Kev']

Date: 2026-07-23  

Wenatchee, WA — Today, at the annual convention of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, the delegates adopted a resolution calling on the State of Washington to enact state level legislation expanding a legally binding right to unionize and negotiate collective bargaining agreements to agricultural workers in the State of Washington. Washington would become only the third state to enact a state law extending unionization rights to agricultural workers since 1935, when agriculture was excluded from the federal New Deal era National Labor Relations Act which granted workers in most other industries the right to form a union. For decades, the unionization efforts of Washington farm workers have been stymied by lack of a legally binding and enforceable process by which agricultural workers can form a union or reach a collective bargaining agreement, forcing farm workers to resort to consumer boycotts such as the ongoing Windmill mushroom boycott.

The newly adopted WSLC resolution calls on Washington State Legislature to pass “legislation granting Washington’s agricultural workers enforceable collective bargaining rights, including card check recognition, union certification, and good-faith bargaining, administered and enforced by the state Public Employment Relations Commission”. The resolution was submitted at the WSLC convention by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Local 117; Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 925; Washington State Council of Building and Construction Trades; Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 775; Certified Electrical Brothers Of Washington (CEWW); Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) Council 28; Washington Education Association (WEA); and International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Joint Council 28.

The full text of the resolution is available here.

“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!”

“Farm workers have waited decades for the day in which they will have the same right to unionize that worker deserves,” said UFW President Teresa Romero. “The entire Washington Labor movement is now united in making that day a reality in the next legislative session. The UFW is humbled and grateful for the solidarity and support of Washington’s unions and working people.”

“Farm workers deserve the same fundamental labor protections as other workers,” said Washington State Labor Council President April Sims. “Their exclusion from collective bargaining rights is the legacy of slavery and racist labor laws, a historic wrong that we must correct. The stability and dignity of a union contract is good for farm workers, good for the agricultural industry, and good for all Washingtonians. The Washington State Labor Council is committed to fighting for legislation to enshrine the right to organize for farmworkers in Washington state, ensuring that the people who feed us have a seat at the table.”

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/7/23/800074049/community/washington-state-labor-council-calls-for-farm-worker-unionization-law/

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