King County Labor Council
The MLKCLC is affiliated with the national AFL–CIO, the central labor organization in the United States, which represents more than 13 million working people.
In addition to supporting labor organizations, it acts as a voice for the interests and needs of the working people in King County, WA.
[Central] Along with Labor Day Parades, the WCLU advocated for workers by obtaining direct control over its newspaper the Union Record in 1903 by buying it from its publisher.
In spite of strong support the mine owners prevailed in large part due to the economic depression at the time.
[2] Although the WCLU aimed at promoting fair labor by operating its own employment referral "hiring hall," in 1893 public criticism of this effort arose centered around complaints of excessive fees and fictitious jobs.
Armstrong of the Typographers Union, worked to pass an ordinance by the city council which established the free employment bureau.
The council was a key supporter of the Populist movement, as represented by the organizing of the People's Party during the rise and fall of the progressive coalition from 1909 to 1917.
[AFL–CIO] The layoffs and regressive bargaining by employers post war led the SCLC to call the Seattle General Strike of 1919.
The rise of more centrist labor elements post-strike led to power struggles within the SCLC that culminated in a vote to expel several of the more radical IWW activists.
Although he was instrumental in rebuilding the strength of organized labor in Seattle, his conservative business unionism approach was very different from the Council's previous radical ideologies.
During the Great Depression, many workers favored Beck's conservative style over the more progressive politics of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO).
Throughout Beck's influence, the SCLC stayed away from politics and only endorsed "moderate pro-labor Democrats," rejecting leftist coalitions.
During this time, the council combated statewide "Right-to-Work" open shop efforts enabled by passage of the national Taft-Hartley Act of 1947.
[5] Although the KCLC had reentered more progressive local politics, there was still some remnants of business unionism facilitating a no-strike agreement for the construction and operation of the facilities for 1962 World's Fair.
[AFL–CIO] There were threats to strike the Fair, dubbed the Century 21 Exposition, because the concessionaires, exhibitors and departments resisted protected labor activism among their employees.
In 1971 a radical resolution was passed by the delegate body empowering the KCLC to call for a national one-day strike against President Richard Nixon because of what it believed to be his unfair and unworkable labor policies.
Then Executive Secretary Treasurer Dan Bickford urged a protest against NFL Seattle Seahawks games that used strike replacement players.
[15] In July 1989 the media highlighted KCLC's refusal to make a political candidate endorsement based on the pro-choice abortion issue.
The project's purpose was designed to promote school leadership and public education which was established by CEOs from Safeco, Boeing and other large corporations.
The agreement proposed to allow the free movement of goods, services and investments between the United States, Canada and Mexico without restrictions.
[22] In 1997, the King County Labor Agency, AFL-CIO Community Service Division was created as the 501(c)(03) for charity efforts for the KCLC.
While this effort was ultimately unsuccessful, it signaled a growing emphasis by the central labor council in grass roots organizing.
SUN was a KCLC sponsored organization dedicated to capacity-building, multi-union efforts, ambitious unions and labor campaigns.
[24] In November 30, 1999 the KCLC was a key player in a nationwide historical event, the protests of the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference (WTO).
[26] Then KCLC Executive Secretary Treasurer Ron Judd, established a "Hate Free Zone" at the Seattle Labor Temple in the downtown Belltown neighborhood as a place where protesters would not be harassed by law enforcement.
Prior executive secretary, Steve Williamson left the council to join United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21.
The King County Council said it was to discourage racial profiling and decrease the fear of seeking health care.
