2023 Year in Review

December 19, 2023

2023 was a busy year for our local labor movement! From strikes and contracts to elections and job fairs, we recapped the biggest moments of the past year.

2023 Timeline:

January:

• Seattle Convention Center Addition opens
• UW Librarians (SEIU 925) ratify their first contract

February:

• Seattle’s voters pass the Social Housing Ballot Measure (I-135)
• MLK Labor holds our first New Delegate Orientation

March:

• UNITEHERE 8 workers at Facebook rally for severance & transparency around layoffs
• MLK Labor organizes nation’s largest Starbucks rally on “Founders Day”
• President’s Organizing Initiative awarded a $2 million federal grant”

April:

• Seattle Colleges faculty walkout over inadequate funding
• MLK Labor helps pass $1B union-built Crises Cares Levy
• 1,500 students attend Career Showcase at the ShoWare Center

May:

• MLK Labor hosted the first ever “Candidate Palooza”
• MLK Labor helps kick off the Seattle Housing Levy

June:

• UW postdocs & researchers have a one-day unfair labor practice strike
• MLK Labor/WSLC brings unions to learn about the Glacier Supreme Court decision
• Historic Labor attendance at Seattle Pride

July:

• Groundbreaking Community Workforce Agreement at Tyee High School
• MLK Labor supports striking SAG-AFTRA members
• Showbox workers become the first nightclub in the region to unionize with IATSE 15

August:

• MLK Labor signs a Labor Harmony Agreement at the new Seattle Waterfront Park
• The King County Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy passes
• UPS workers ratify 5-year contract with historic wage increases

September:

• Over 600 union members and their families attend our Labor Day Celebration
• King County Metro transit operators (ATU 587) win an 18% pay increase
• City of Seattle Workers hold a massive rally at City Hall

October:

• MLK Labor Board holds first-ever full-day racial justice retreat
• Labor Council supports WSNA Virginia Mason nurses at contract rally
• Governor Inslee announces support for the burgeoning offshore wind industry

November:

• Meet the Winners event celebrates labor’s political work in 2023
• Labor community joins striking Macy’s workers to rally on Black Friday

December:

• Mayor Harrell signs Building Emissions Performance Standards creating thousands of union jobs
• City of Seattle Workers reach a Tentative Agreement

The numbers that defined the year:

• 8 Strike Sanctions passed by the Executive Board
• Over $40k in strike funds raised by MLK Labor
• 61.5% (32/52) of Labor-Endorsed Candidates endorsed won their elections
• 9 candidate endorsement events held
• $1B won in the Seattle Housing Levy for a livable community and union jobs
• 13,000 members received political mail pieces
• 20,000 doors were knocked as part of the Labor Neighbor program
• 200 Labor Neighbor Volunteers
• 600 people attended our Labor Day Celebration in SeaTac
• 10,000 workers joined a union with help from the President’s Organizing Initiative since it’s inception

Retirements in 2023:

• Larry Brown (IAM 751/WSLC)
• Karen Hart (SEIU 925)
• Diane Sosne (SEIU Healthcare 1199NW)
• Terri Mast (Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific)
• Leonard Smith (Teamsters 117)

Those lost in 2023:

• Joel Funfar (past president of SPEEA)
• Tracey Thompson (past Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters 117)
• Paul Bigman

Meet the Winners Award Winners:

• Best Labor-Backed Campaign: Yes for Homes Coalition – Seattle Housing Levy
• Building Power Award: Ironworkers Local 86
• Top Union Field Program: SEIU Healthcare 1199NW
• Union Candidates of the Year: Amber Wise (UFCW 3000) and Anthony Berkley (Teamsters 117) who both ran for Hospital Commission races
• Volunteer of the Year: Ben Wilkerson (SEIU Healthcare 1199NW)