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Seattle proclaims May 1 International Workers' Day as unions and labor groups call for continued organizing
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Summary
Councilmember Foster presented a proclamation recognizing May 1 as International Workers' Day; labor leaders from Working Washington, MLK Labor, Washington State Labor Council and ProTech 17 spoke in support and urged collective action, and a public commenter later thanked the council for a delivery-app ordinance study showing pay improvements for drivers.
The Seattle City Council on April 28 proclaimed May 1, 2026, as International Workers' Day and invited labor and community organizers to the chamber for brief remarks.
Councilmember Debra Foster presented the proclamation and said May Day is a time to "reflect on the ongoing struggle for dignity, safety, and fair wages for workers everywhere," and noted the importance of organizing beyond ceremonial recognition.
Representatives from several labor organizations addressed the council. CJ Garcia, co-director of organizing at Working Washington, urged continued organizing and said, "Worker power makes everything possible," framing May Day as a moment and a movement. Katie Garrow, executive secretary-treasurer of MLK Labor, recounted labor victories tied to collective action and invited workers to an upcoming May Day event at Cal Anderson Park.
Sharika Carter, secretary-treasurer of the Washington State Labor Council (AFL-CIO), highlighted that the day is both a celebration and a remembrance for workers who have died on the job; she noted the state's annual worker-mortality figure and stressed the need for continued safety reforms. Karen Estavanan, executive director of ProTech 17, described her union’s membership (including thousands of city employees) and invoked Seattle’s 1919 general strike legacy to call for solidarity.
Later in the public comment period, CJ Garcia publicly thanked the council and city labor standards staff for a study that analyzed data from five major delivery apps and concluded that base pay and delivery protections had increased pay reliability and order volumes after the ordinance took effect. "Now that we have the app’s own data backing up what workers have been saying, it is important to continue to highlight raising labor standards," Garcia said.
The council suspended rules to allow brief photo opportunities with guests and honored therapy-animal volunteers at a separate proclamation that immediately preceded public comment.
