by Jerry Cornfield, Washington State Standard
March 27, 2026
Another group of Democratic staff in the Washington Legislature wants to unionize.
Roughly 20 employees who handle policy and communication duties for the Senate Democratic Caucus have filed for representation by the Washington Public Employees Association. It is the first step to becoming a union and negotiating contracts with the Legislature.
“Legislative staff are essential to a functioning democracy,” association president Amanda Hacker said in a statement. “We’re proud to support them as they join their coworkers in our union.”
A 2022 law cleared the way for partisan legislative staff to unionize starting in 2024 and to negotiate workplace terms and conditions.
Legislative assistants, policy analysts and communications staff in the House Democratic Caucus, legislative assistants in the Senate Democratic Caucus and legislative assistants for Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate did so. Each has since negotiated their first collective bargaining agreements.
Washington Public Employees Association represents the Democratic employee bargaining units and the Legislative Professionals Association represents the Republican staff unions.
Democratic policy and communications staff are looking to be part of the same bargaining unit as legislative assistants in the Senate Democratic Caucus.
Their petition to the Public Employment Relations Commission says the unit would cover full-time, part-time and temporary full-time legislative and executive assistants for Democratic senators, and caucus staff. Managers, supervisors and confidential employees are excluded.
State law requires a separate election administered by the Public Employment Relations Commission to determine union recognition.
If successful, the workers would be able to participate in upcoming negotiations on a two-year contract that would take effect in July 2027.
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