Resolution on Fairness in Transportation and Infrastructure

September 17, 2025

WHEREAS, workers and residents in South King County, particularly in the Seatac, Kent, Burien and Des Moines areas, are facing disproportionate economic burdens from tolling practices associated with major transportation projects, including the Puget Sound Gateway Program; and

WHEREAS, these tolls compound inequities in communities of color and working-class neighborhoods, which already face higher exposure to environmental impacts such as air pollution from highway expansion and the Port of Seattle; and

WHEREAS, more than 1,000 union electricians in King County are unemployed while the Gateway public megaproject in our own communities awards contracts to out-of-area, non-union contractors, undermining local workforce opportunities and public accountability; and

WHEREAS, the labor movement has a responsibility to advocate not only for union jobs, but also for fair infrastructure policies that strengthen equity, reduce displacement, and ensure public investments benefit the communities most affected;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that MLK Labor will engage with community partners, including labor unions, faith groups, neighborhood organizations, and environmental justice advocates, to address unfair tolling practices and demand equitable solutions that protect working families in South King County; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that MLK Labor calls on all elected officials connected to or affected by the Gateway SR 509 project to prioritize union labor and community workforce agreements in the awarding of public contracts, ensuring that publicly funded infrastructure creates good local jobs, supports apprenticeship training, and reflects our shared values of equity and justice.