M.L. King County Labor Council

Candidates seeking the Labor Council’s endorsement are required to participate in the MLKCLC endorsement process. (Many of our affiliated unions have their own individual processes. Please contact them directly. A list of local unions can be obtained from the Washington State Labor Council, which has a list of unions statewide on their website.)

If you are a candidate seeking an endorsement for a legislative or congressional office, please contact the Washington State Labor Council at (206) 281-8901 to begin the process and request a questionnaire to complete. You can then contact our office at (206) 441-8510 to schedule an interview date.

The Committee on Political Education (COPE) will conduct the interview. The COPE consists of the Council's Executive Board and individuals named by our affiliated organizations to represent them in this process.

Once interviews of all interested candidates for any given office have been completed, the MLKCLC Executive Board will consider input from other COPE members and make a recommendation for endorsement. This recommendation requires a 2/3 vote of the Board. In order to be recommended for endorsement a candidate must have completed the MLKCLC questionnaire and a COPE interview. The candidate’s voting records shall be reviewed, if appropriate. The viability and attitude of the candidate shall also be considered.

Any recommendation made by the Board shall be forwarded to the delegate body of the Council. This body typically meets the third Wednesday of each month and endorsements may be made only at these meetings. It requires a 2/3 vote of the delegate body to confirm an endorsement recommendation made by the Board. Any motion for endorsement made from the floor of the meeting without a recommendation from the Board will be referred back to the Board for consideration at their next meeting, to be brought back to the delegate body at the subsequent meeting of the delegates. Once an endorsement has been made, no further interviews will be held, except in extenuating circumstances (to be considered on a case-by-case basis.)

Recommendations from the Council will then be forwarded to the Washington State Labor Council for consideration at their annual Convention, which is scheduled for August 9-12, 2010.