Proposal would give WA agricultural workers more options to form a union

By: Erick Bengel, Olympia Bureau

Outlets: Yakima Herald-Republic

Published: January 25, 2026

Words: 880

Last Updated: 1 day, 20 hours ago

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OLYMPIA — A proposed law would give Washington’s agricultural workers a formal process to engage in collective bargaining with their employers, extending an advantage that many private-sector workers have.

But farm representatives worry that the change would burden an already struggling industry.

SB 6045 had its first hearing on Jan. 20 in the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee, which is chaired by the bill’s prime sponsor, Sen. Rebecca Saldana, D-Seattle.

The federal National Labor …

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