August 2026
Celebrate Labor Day!
There are so many celebrations - find one near you!
From the Thurston-Lewis-Mason Central Labor Council: Labor Day Celebration
Monday, September 7th, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Join the Thurston - Lewis - Mason Central Labor Council for a Labor Day celebration at the VR Lee Building in Chehalis!
Join us to meet your fellow workers in Thurston, Lewis and Mason Counties, enjoy food, games, connection, solidarity, and to find out about your rights!
This event is free, but donations to our local food bank are welcomed.
We're looking forward to seeing you on Labor Day!
Contact TLM CLC President Rachelle Martin with any questions.
From the Pierce County Central Labor Council: 2026 Annual Ralph Chaplin Memorial Event
Monday, September 7th, 10:30 - 11:00 AM
Start your Labor Day 2026 with the Pierce County Central Labor Council at our annual gravesite remembrance of Ralph Chaplin and his historic contributions to the Labor movement in the early part of the 20th century.
The short memorial service will be held at his gravesite in Calvary Cemetery, in Tacoma.
You are welcome to bring mementos to share from significant contract campaigns, union solidarity buttons, flowers, and any other memorabilia demonstrating the commitment of today’s labor movement to continuing Brother Chaplin’s fight for a just world.
More information here.
From the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Central Labor Council: Labor Day Picnic
Monday, September 7th, 10:30 AM - 3:30 PM
We're planning a day filled with food, raffles, and games for union members and their families. Make sure to share this information with your fellow union members - this is a picnic just for them and their families! Tell them to bring their union cards and to wear their union gear so they can share their union pride with everyone at the picnic!
We're looking forward to seeing you and your family at Haydu park on Labor Day!
More information here.
From MLK Labor: Labor Day Picnic
Monday, September 7th, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
MLK Labor is bringing Labor Day back to Angle Lake Park in SeaTac! This will be a family-friendly event with hot dogs, ice cream, and a splash park for kids. It's open to all union members and their families from 11 AM to 1 PM.
More information here.
From the Pierce County Central Labor Council: Labor Day Picnic
Monday, September 7th, 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Celebrate Labor Day with union members, working families, retirees, friends of labor, and community allies from across Pierce County!
Join the Pierce County labor movement for our annual Labor Day Picnic, a day to celebrate the achievements of working people and the solidarity that continues to build a stronger future for everyone. Enjoy a free barbecue lunch, meet fellow union members, connect with local labor organizations and community partners, and hear from labor-endorsed candidates and elected leaders about the issues that matter to working families.
Whether you've been a union member for decades or are simply looking to celebrate Labor Day with your community, everyone who supports working people is welcome.
🍔 Free barbecue lunch 🎪 Union and community organization tables 🎤 Brief remarks from labor leaders, candidates, and electeds 🤝 Opportunities to connect with our siblings in the movement
Bring your family, friends, lawn chairs or picnic blankets, and your union pride!
Register here.
From The Northwest Washington Central Labor Council: Labor Day BBQ
Monday, September 7th, 12:00 - 3:00 PM
Join Northwest Washington union members at Maiben Park in Burlington, WA to celebrate Labor Day with a barbecue! All union members and their families welcome!
Contact NWWCLC Recording Secretary Josh Cerretti with any questions
Worksite Representative Training
Tuesday, October 13th, 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Whether you are called a union steward, building rep, officer, executive board member, we all want to do our best to represent our members. During this training you will learn the importance of engaging our membership, building our power inside and outside of the worksite, and enforcing our contract.
Register here.
Contract Enforcement & Grievance Training
Wednesday, October 14th, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
Our Collective Bargaining Agreements are one of the cornerstones of having a powerful local. A contract that is enforced makes a big difference in how our union and our members are treated in the workplace. This training will cover the ins and outs of filing grievances, unfair labor practices, duties of union leaders, and how we make sure that management does what the contract says they will do.
Register here.
Save The Date! Writing Effective Resolutions
Wednesday, October 28th, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
Resolutions direct the work of our union. To be effective, resolutions need to clearly state the problem, the goal, and who will do what to ensure that the resolution is implemented, but they also need member support to happen! Bring your ideas and drafts for resolutions and we’ll discuss how to get them convention-ready.
Registration coming soon!
Save The Date! Fiscal Analysis
Saturday, November 14th, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
In bargaining, it's essential to know how much money the employer has and how they plan to spend it. In this session, you will get hands-on practice with financial materials and learn how to read the data to best negotiate a fair deal. Note: This workshop takes place in person on Saturday at the Washington State Labor Council in Seattle.
Registration coming soon!
Human Rights Committee Seeks Members
The AFT Washington Human Rights Committee is sincerely committed to our mission statement of advocating for human rights in our workplaces and our community. We are continuing to work with our locals and allies to combat racism, foster community, and educate our members and communities on the importance of Human Rights. The AFT Washington Human Rights Committee needs your expertise, experience, and investment in upholding Human Rights to do this! We want to have a representative committee that includes all the constituencies within AFT Washington, but to do that we need your participation. You are invited to join the Human Rights Committee as an advocate for the Human Rights issues that are important to our members. To join the Human Rights Committee, contact Ray Carrillo, 206-369-4001, rcarrillo@aftwa.org.
AFT Connect: Better Data For A Stronger Union
Connect is AFT’s web-based, secure local data management system. It provides a great way to record individual member data, and so much more!
- Capture detailed employment and employer information about members, prospective members, and retired members of your local.
- Make sure your members can access their union-provided benefits (discounted insurance, home mortgages, travel, goods, and personal services).
- Keep track of changes in member earnings to ensure proper payment of your local’s per capita obligations.
- Manage your local executive board as well as COPE and other local committees.
- Plan outreach to your members and prospects. Have the information you need to conduct mailings, email, phone, and text message outreach via local efforts or using AFT’s communications tools. Record member event attendance and outreach responses.
- Create forms and surveys.
- Track your local’s engagement with and support from Community Allies.
Readily use these features and more through AFT Connect’s dashboard, upload bulk spreadsheet updates of your membership, or let Connect help your local turn data into a powerful outreach and management tool through easy, customizable reports.
Maintaining your local’s membership and leadership information in Connect meets AFT and AFT Washington requirements for your local to remain in good standing.
To get started with AFT Connect, or to request training and other member data support, contact Briseida Sanchez at bsanchez@aftwa.org.
Communications Help Is Available
Is your local not sure how to best use your website? Did you know you can have a free website? Would you like help with figuring out strategies for better communications outreach? Got something for the whole union to hear about? We can help with all of these, and more!
On top of helping your local, we can provide outreach to the union as a whole, through the Pulse and the Union Spotlight. We are actively interested in anything your members are doing, such as workshops or innovative problem solving.
If you have questions about them, want guidance, or are interested in learning more, please contact Cortney Marabetta at cmarabetta@aftwa.org.