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The 2025 Washington State Labor Council Convention took place July 22nd - 24th at the Vancouver Hilton. As The Stand put it (https://www.thestand.org/2025/07/convention-2025-our-voice-our-power-our-movement/) those three days "strengthened bonds of solidarity, grew skillsets, and celebrated the powerful resiliency of a movement by and for working people." Over the course of those three days Harold hit the Convention floor and talked with other Delegates including Ryan Andreas (USW Local 289m - https://usw.org/) Joe Bond (IBEW Local 48 - https://www.ibew48.com/) Ava Claridge (AFSCME Local 443 - https://www.wfselocal443.org/) Rik Desken (SAG-AFTRA Seattle Local - https://www.sagaftra.org/seattle) Dustin Hysmith (SMART Local 16 - https://www.smw16.org/) C Moline (NALC Branch 79 - https://nalc79.org/ - and Washington Young Emerging Labor Leaders - https://www.instagram.com/washington_yell/) Nate Omdal (AFM Local 76-493 - https://local76-493.org/) Chuck Pirtle (AFSCME 1181 - https://www.facebook.com/WFSELocal1181/ - and the Kitsap County Central Labor Council - https://unionhall.aflcio.org/kitsapcountyclc) Tony Zemple (IUOE Local 302 - https://www.iuoe302.org/  - and the Northwest Washington Central Labor Council - https://www.nwwclc.com/) about the big moments that stood out to them during the event, their impressions of Vancouver, and why working people who aren't in a union (yet) should care about what happens at state Labor Federation Conventions. If you'd like to hear some of the speeches the Delegates mentioned when they talked to Harold, check out TVW's coverage of Day 1 (https://tvw.org/video/washington-state-labor-council-constitutional-convention-2025071064/) and  Day 2 (https://tvw.org/video/washington-state-labor-council-constitutional-convention-2025071065/)  of the WSLC Convention. This episode is sponsored by Union Plus's Unions Power America Sweepstakes, which offers union members across the country the chance to win $40,000.00 and a dream trip to New York City! No purchase is necessary; find out all the details and official rules at https://unionpowerusa.com. Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at [email protected] and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes!  We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

There are a lot of union members in Southwest Washington, but that population is going to jump between July 22nd and 24th when the Washington State Labor Council holds its 2025 Convention (https://www.wslc.org/convention/) at the Vancouver Hilton. Washington State Labor Council Communications Director Sarah Tucker sits down with Harold to talk about what happens at the WSLC Convention, what bringing it to Vancouver means for working people there (whether they're in a union or not) and what a COPE barbecue is! This episode is sponsored by Union Plus's Unions Power America Sweepstakes, which offers union members across the country the chance to win $40,000.00 and a dream trip to New York city! No purchase is necessary; find out all the details and official rules at https://unionpowerusa.com. Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at [email protected] and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes!  We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

If you've been out and about in Vancouver Washington, you may have noticed some new additions to the walls of businesses such as Richland Hub (https://richlandhub.com/) or White Oak Books (https://whiteoakbooks.net/.) These and other businesses are displaying posters that explore our region's deep Labor history. The posters are part of a May Day Scavenger Hunt (https://tinyurl.com/mbwpk8px) put together by a coalition of Southwest Washington educator, health care, state worker, and other unions that will culminate in a May Day celebration at the Clark County Historical Museum (https://cchmuseum.org/) on May 1st at 5:00 PM. Harold sits down with several members of these unions PSE (https://www.pseclassified.org/) member Rachel Rice   EEA (https://www.eeaoffice.com/) member Katherine Aimone   OFNHP (https://ofnhp.aft.org/) member Connor Daniels   CCAHE (https://www.ccahe.org/) member Sydney Brahmavar   WPEA (https://www.wpea.org/) member Courtney Braddock   EEA (https://www.eeaoffice.com/) member Marj Hogan to find out more about May Day, what YOU could win by taking part in this fun community activity, and the scavenger hunt's surprising connection to... Pokemon Go? Find out more about this May Day celebration and how you can participate in the scavenger hunt at https://tinyurl.com/mbwpk8px.  Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at [email protected] and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes! We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

Listen to (and download) the Washington For All Anthem! You can watch the Washington For All Anthem music video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nlD8ahPUfc (If you just want to listen to the song, check out the next episode of the podcast - we've uploaded the full song as a separate track. Click the "download" link to download an .mp3 copy.) Want to see Josh and Charles play the Anthem live? Join them in Olympia on April 9th - https://wfse.org/dcyf-policy-committee/calendar/washington-all-day-action (Can't make it to Olympia? There's probably a Washington For All rally happening where you live in Washington - check the link above!)

If you’ve been paying attention to the news you probably know that the state of Washington is facing a severe budget deficit.  Governor Bob Ferguson and the state Legislature have a plan to address that deficit which includes severe cuts to public services and the public servants who provide them. Harold talks with Charles Loeffler and Joshua Eaton, two Washington Federation of State Employees (https://wfse.org/) members, about the challenges our public employees are facing, the varying proposals the Governor, the state House and Senate are proposing, and the innovative way they've found to get public employees message out: the Washington For All Anthem! You can watch the Washington For All Anthem music video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nlD8ahPUfc (If you just want to listen to the song, check out the next episode of the podcast: https://swwaclc.podbean.com/e/the-washington-for-all-anthem/ We've uploaded the full song as a separate track. Click the "download" link to download an .mp3 copy.) Want to see Josh and Charles play the Anthem live? Join them in Olympia on April 9th - https://wfse.org/dcyf-policy-committee/calendar/washington-all-day-action (Can't make it to Olympia? There's probably a Washington For All rally happening where you live in Washington - check the link above!) Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at [email protected] and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes! We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

By now you should have received your ballot for the 2024 General Election (if you haven't, contact your county elections office - find more information on how to do that at https://www.VoteWA.gov!) You may be familiar with a lot of the offices up for election this year... but do you know the full scope of what Washington's Attorney General does? Nick Brown (https://nickbrownforag.com/) sits down with Harold to discuss what goes into being the lawyer for every citizen of Washington, the Attorney General's ability to solve problems for everyday working people, and the power of "convening." Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at [email protected] and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes! We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.  

A lot of working people are somewhat familiar with the US Senate and US House of Representatives in the other Washington... but they're not as familiar with our STATE Senate and State House of Representatives in this Washington (you know... the one in Olympia.) Harold sits down with State Senate candidate Adrian Cortes (https://www.votecortes.com/) and State House candidates John Zingale (https://www.electjohnzingale.com/) and Deken Letinich (https://www.electdeken.com/) to find out the differences - and similarities - between the Federal Legislature and our State Legislature, the value of failure, and how you can change things in our state by talking to your state legislators. Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at [email protected] and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes! We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

Washington's 17th Legislative District looks a lot different after its boundaries were changed due to a Voting Rights Act violation  (https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/04/03/heres-how-washingtons-legislative-districts-will-change-for-this-years-elections/.) While East Vancouver is still part of the 17th LD, so are more rural parts of Skamania and Klickitat Counties. Harold sits down with Marla Keethler (https://www.marlaforsenate.com/) and Terri Niles (https://www.voteterriniles.com/) to find out more about the new areas in the 17th LD, what unifies people living in rural and urban areas, and what they plan to do to break the "hamster wheel" working people find themselves on these days. Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at [email protected] and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes! We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

Of all the challenges working people are facing these days, the lack of affordable housing may be one of the biggest. What can be done about the ever-increasing percentage of workers' paychecks that are going towards the rent? Harold sits down with Wil Fuentes (https://electwil.com/) to discuss the difference between Vancouver and "unincorporated Clark County," what's driving the lack of affordable housing in our region, and what the Clark County Council can do to fix this growing problem. Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at [email protected] and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes! We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

There are a lot of changes happening in Klickitat County, Washington. This largely rural county is seeing a housing boom and several large projects are on the horizon that could bring jobs and prosperity.... but that doesn't mean there aren't challenges to contend with. Harold sits down with two candidates running for the Klickitat County Commission, Amanda Kitchings (https://www.amandaholtmankitchings.com/) and Ron Ihrig (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559059846273,) to find out a little more about Klickitat County, the issues working people face there, and what the heck a "pump storage project" is. Find out more about the Southwest Washington Central Labor Council's endorsed candidates at https://tinyurl.com/5n7trpbb.  Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at [email protected] and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes! We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.  

The Clark Public Utilities District (https://www.clarkpublicutilities.com/about-cpu) touches every person living and working in Clark County, Washington... but many working people are unaware of the impact the Clark PUD has, or what the Commissioners who oversee it do. Harold sits down with labor-endorsed candidate for Clark Public Utilities Commissioner James O'Neil (https://oneil4pud.com/) to find out what the PUD is, why James thinks you need to think about water and electricity, and why he believes the people working at Clark PUD are the most important part of the organization. Find out more about the Southwest Washington Central Labor Council's endorsed candidates at https://tinyurl.com/5n7trpbb.  Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at [email protected] and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes! We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

In January Delegates to the Southwest Washington Central Labor Council elected UA Local 26 (http://www.ua26.org/) member Ray Connor to be their new president. Who is Ray, and what are his plans for the CLC? Ray sits down with Harold to talk about his background, how the Labor Council works, and what the best decision he ever made was. Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at [email protected] and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes! We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

We don't have to tell you that 2023 was an amazing year for working people. Big strikes, big contract wins and new organizing campaigns grabbed the headlines this year, and public support for organized Labor soared to new heights. With the end of the year just around the corner, Harold sits down with Northwest Labor Press (https://nwlaborpress.org/) Editor-in-Chief Don McIntosh and The Stand's (https://www.thestand.org/) Editor-in-Chief David Groves to talk about what made 2023 so special and what this year's wins for working people might tell us about the year to come. Before we get to the New Year, though, some of you probably have  some last-minute holiday shopping to do! Check the AFL-CIO's Union Made Holiday Gift Guide (https://aflcio.org/MadeInAmerica/holiday-gifts) for some great American made - and UNION MADE - gifts. Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at [email protected] and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes! We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

The Portland Association of Teachers strike is over - but we thought our sisters, brothers and siblings' struggle across the river to the south gave us a great opportunity to look back on this year's educator strikes here in Southwest Washington. Evergreen Education Association Vice President Marj Hogan and Camas Education Association Vice President Michael Sanchez sit down with Harold to discuss why their two unions went on strike, what the experience was like, and what they gained for their members... and their students! Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at [email protected] and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes! We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.

It's Labor Day weekend, and there's a lot to celebrate this year - including polling that says over 2/3 of Americans are in favor of unions (https://thehill.com/business/4176862-two-thirds-of-americans-support-unions-poll/!) We hope you'll join us in celebrating this news and much more at our annual Labor Day Picnic at Haydu Park in Kalama (https://tinyurl.com/yednnuh5) - and if you're listening to this month's show outside of Southwest Washington, that you'll find a Labor Day picnic near you at https://aflcio.org/laborday. We know a lot of people have joined unions this year (and a lot more people are interested in them.)  We wanted to take this opportunity to share some inside information about unions those who are new to the movement may not know much about - union Conventions. Harold talks with WFSE Local 313 (https://www.wfse.org/) member Joshua Eaton and IBEW 48 (https://www.ibew48.com/) member (and Southwest Washington Central Labor Council Secretary Treasurer) Kevin Lux about what Conventions are and why they're so important.   Remember working people in Southwest Washington, this is YOUR podcast! Email us at [email protected] and let us know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in future episodes! We're a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network - find more radio shows and podcasts that speak to working people about working people's issues at www.LaborRadioNetwork.org.