WSLC Online -- Services

The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO provides many services to its affiliated organizations, and also has grant programs designed to offer direct worker assistance. Here is a summary of the WSLC's core mission, and contacts for more information:

The reason we organize unions in the first place is because through collective action we have more power. By joining together, union organizations affiliated with the WSLC can speak with one strong voice in Olympia. Important workplace rights and standards won at the bargaining table can be lost with the stroke of a politician's pen at the Capitol. The WSLC has fought hard to maintain those standards and to attain new ones in areas ranging from collective bargaining to prevailing wage, from unemployment benefits to workers' compensation. The WSLC also helps its affiliates develop legislation to address industry-specific issues of concern. For more information about the WSLC's legislative program, visit our Legislative Issues page or contact the WSLC's Rebecca Johnson or Teresa Mosqueda at 360-943-0608.

Affiliate and Direct Worker Assistance

While many of the WSLC's services are designed to help union locals and organizations, assistance is also available to rank-and-file union members directly, including the following programs (follow links for more information on these programs):

Community and Technical Colleges
A grant from the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges is designed to increase participation of worker representatives on colleges' general and program advisory committees. Training is also available for college and labor staff. For more information, contact Kairie Pierce at kpierce@wslc.org or 360-943-0608.

Dislocated Worker Assistance
The WSLC has two labor liaisons for the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) who conduct "rapid response" activities during layoffs and plant closures to make sure that the affected workers have access to the best job retraining and re-employment program opportunities available. Assistance is also available with applying for unemployment and other benefits available to these working families during their time of crisis. For more information, contact WIA Labor Liaison Bill Messenger at bmessenger@wslc.org or 360-357-8736.

Project Help
A program, jointly administered by the WSLC and the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, to assist injured workers in the early and successful resolution of workers' compensation claims. Call 1-800-255-9752, or contact Project Help Director Viona Latschaw at vlatschaw@wslc.org or Project Help Claims Assistant Kathy Petruzzelli at kpetruzzelli@wslc.org for more information.

The WSLC has an aggressive program to educate rank-and-file union members around the state on where political candidates stand on working people's issues. The WSLC's political education program, considered a national model by the AFL-CIO, offers instruction and assistance for unions interested in voter registration drives, candidate training for union members, establishing and building political action funds, and communicating with members via mail, phone and worksite leafleting. It also pioneered the Labor Neighbor program, where union members hit the streets to talk to other union members about issues that matter to working people. For more information, check out our Political Education page or contact WSLC Political Director Karen Deal at kdeal@wslc.org or 206-281-8901.

In addition to using this website and other communications tools to help our affiliated organizations disseminate information, the WSLC is available to help its affiliates plan media strategies for events and campaigns. Assistance in preparing news releases, publicizing events, and developing union newsletters/websites are all available through the WSLC. Just contact Communications Director Kathy Cummings at kcummings@wslc.org or 206-281-8901. For information about this web site and its content or any WSLC publications, contact Publications Director David Groves at dgroves@wslc.org or 206-281-8901.

Effective union organizing drives often require the support of the community. The WSLC can help rally the support of community leaders, elected officials and other unions' members in the area to assist in successful organizing. The council is also a valuable resource of information and literature on the benefits of joining unions.

In addition to those four core missions, the WSLC offers other services including:

The WSLC can also help your union with its unique needs and specific issues. Affiliated unions can just contact us at wslc@wslc.org or 206-281-8901 or 1-800-542-0904, and request our assistance. We are here to serve you.