Legislative Wins, New Endorsement, Plus a Trip to Capitol Hill

Lawmakers in Oregon and Washington officially adjourned this month from their respective short sessions in 2026, and though these 35- and 60-day legislative sprints can be exhausting, District Council 5 nonetheless secured major wins in the fight to protect fair wages and an even playing field for our members across both states.

Washington

In Olympia, our union played a significant role in passing SB 6302 preventing dishonest contractors from misclassifying workers as “independent contractors” to avoid paying fair wages and benefits. Under the bill, if a company hires three or more independent contractors in certain trades (including painting, glazing, drywall, and flooring) on a public works project, then Washington L&I will step in to investigate whether the workers have been improperly classified.

Meanwhile, SB 5061 fell short of passage after getting hung up in the House Capital Construction Committee. In our trades, it’s not uncommon that several years might pass between when a public works contract is signed and when the work actually begins — during which the prevailing wage rate goes up with rising costs. This bill would have ensured that workers are paid the prevailing wage rate at the time the work is performed, rather than the rate that was in effect when the contract was signed.

The issue is one of fairness. Skilled tradespeople should be paid appropriate wages that keep pace with the cost of living. DC 5 will continue pushing this concept as we look ahead to 2027.

Oregon

In Salem, success was measured not by what passed, but what was defeated.

SB 1566 proposed exempting certain public projects from paying the prevailing wage rate, which supporters argued would provide more certainty for developers and lenders. It was framed as a device to ramp up production of affordable housing, though Scott Oldham, business representative for Painters Local 10, testified that our skilled tradesmen are actually helping the state meet its housing priorities.

SB 1566 died in the Senate Labor and Business Committee and is an example of how union solidarity can have a demonstrable impact in thwarting harmful legislation.

New Endorsement in Alaska

DC 5 is pleased to announce our endorsement for Mary Peltola in her campaign for U.S. Senate.  Peltola, a Democrat, is seeking to unseat incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan in the November general election. A former tribal judge and U.S. Representative, Peltola has a proven pro-labor record who will stand up for our members and the working class. 

NABTU Conference

The North America’s Building Trades Union (NABTU) National Legislative Conference is April 19-22 in Washington, D.C. District 5 leaders will be in attendance, gathering with our friends from across the country on Capitol Hill to lobby for our industries as we work to build a stronger, better future for America. Check back for updates next month! 

Keeping Local 427 Connected Over 68,000 Square Miles

Organizing workers in a big metro area like Seattle has its challenges, but at least everything is relatively close together. The jobsites are clustered, and getting to the union hall might only mean a short drive or bus ride across town.

Out here in eastern Washington and northern Idaho, things look a lot different. Local 427 covers a huge geographic area, roughly 68,000 square miles. Our members are spread out across communities like Lake Chelan, Wenatchee, Quincy, Yakima, Ellensburg, Spokane, the Tri-Cities, and Coeur d’Alene. Because of that distance, most of our members are travelers during the week, spending hours on the road getting to work or coming to meetings at our offices in Kennewick or Spokane.

When we talk about Building Union Power in this region, it’s not just about convincing workers to stand together. It’s also about finding ways to stay connected across a large area. That’s why we’re working to expand our outreach, including holding more remote meetings and connecting with members where they live. Whether someone is in Lake Chelan or Coeur d’Alene, we want them to be able to stay involved and informed.

At the same time, our focus is making sure our brothers and sisters have steady work so they can support their families. That’s why the end of the 2026 Washington legislative session shows we still have work to do. Lawmakers passed SB 6231, which repealed a key tax exemption for data centers. Those projects have been an important source of work for our members in central Washington.

On a typical data center project, you might have around 5-8 painters and 7-8 drywall finishers working during construction. For the last five years we have had several of these projects going at once. When projects like that slow down, it means fewer opportunities for our members.

But there are also some positive developments. Last fall, the City of Spokane passed an ordinance requiring Community Workforce Agreements on projects over $5 million. That helps ensure projects are built with skilled union labor while providing good jobs for our members. We’re continuing to work with other municipalities in the Tri-Cities and Moses Lake areas toward similar agreements.

We’re also proud of the work our members are doing at the Hanford Site in Richland. Local 427 members have been working at Hanford since the early days of the reservation during the Manhattan Project. Today, we’re helping build and maintain the facilities that are cleaning up the site. The Waste Treatment Plant recently reached a major milestone by beginning to treat low-level nuclear waste and turn it into glass for safe disposal. Our members take a lot of pride in that work. We helped build the facilities that supported our country decades ago, and now we’re helping clean up the site for the future of our children.

Our communities may be spread out, but Local 427 remains strong and united. We’re continuing to grow our outreach, support our members, and build opportunities for good union jobs across eastern Washington and northern Idaho.

If you’d like more information about virtual meetings or upcoming in-person gatherings, feel free to contact me at (206) 794-0989 or rparthree@iupatdc5.org.

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Together, we build stronger communities, protect workers' rights, and create opportunities for success. Stay united, stay strong with IUPAT District Council 5!