Resolution Regarding Use of Non-Union Labor at the Seattle Labor Temple

October 16, 2025

WHEREAS, Martin Luther King, Jr. County Labor Council (MLK Labor) exists to promote solidarity, uphold workers’ rights, and support the principles of fair wages, safe working conditions, and respect for union labor throughout King County; and

WHEREAS, the Labor Temple in Seattle holds deep historical significance as a center of labor organizing, solidarity, and advocacy for working families across the region; and

WHEREAS, reports have indicated that portions of recent or ongoing work at the Labor Temple have been or are being performed by non-union contractors or workers; and

WHEREAS, the use of non-union labor on property associated with the labor movement undermines our shared mission to uplift the standards of fair pay, apprenticeship training, and worker protections that union contractors and members uphold daily; and

WHEREAS, MLK Labor has a stated mission “to aid in the organizing of unorganized workers for their mutual protection and to further the cause of economic and social justice,” and to “aid and encourage the sale and use of union-made goods and union services,” as outlined in its bylaws; and

WHEREAS, affirming our commitment to union labor does not seek to condemn individual workers, but rather to promote fair and responsible contracting practices consistent with labor’s collective values;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that MLK Labor, as the collective voice of organized labor in King County, recognizes that while it does not hold direct authority over the activities of the Labor Temple, it is committed to addressing this issue in partnership with the Labor Temple Board and the Seattle Building and Construction Trades Council. Together, they shall take proactive steps to ensure that similar issues do not occur in the future and that the values of the labor movement are upheld in all work performed on Labor Temple grounds; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that MLK Labor shall communicate—through a formal letter or direct meeting—with the entity or entities responsible for contracting work at the Labor Temple to:

• Express the Council’s unequivocal support for the use of the applicable union labor and union-signatory contractors on all projects performed at the Labor Temple;
  
• Collaborate with the applicable unions directly affected by the current project to apply appropriate pressure on the general contractor and lessee to ensure the work is performed under a union collective bargaining agreement, securing family wages and benefits for all workers on site;
  
• Encourage all future contracting practices to reflect the principles, solidarity, and shared values of the regional labor movement; and
• Engage in a direct conversation with the contractor performing the work to discuss the Council’s concerns and values, and document the substance of that discussion as part of the Council’s official record for transparency and accountability.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that MLK Labor will share a copy of any correspondence or summary of discussion with its delegates and affiliates for transparency; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that MLK Labor recommit to promoting and prioritizing the use of union contractors and workers in all projects, events, and facilities associated on the property.