Call to Action: You can support Farmworkers in this historic moment!
THANKS to Community to Community Development for this overview of WA State Farmworkers’ 2026 Legislative Priorities and Call to Action!
- HB 2409 / SB 6045: Collective Bargaining Bill grants collective bargaining rights for agricultural employees in Washington State. The State must administer these rights in a linguistically and culturally appropriate manner;
- HB 2105 / SB 5852: Immigrant Worker Protection Act would require employers to provide 72 hours’ notice in the event of I-9 inspections by federal agencies. In addition, they may not interfere with, restrain, or deny workers’ ability to exercise their rights, regardless of immigration status.
- HB 1903: Low Income Energy Assistance Bill would reduce the financial energy burden for low income households.
TAKE ACTION
1. Look up your Legislative District here
2. Find their phone numbers here: (scroll down to find the full list of names, districts, and phone numbers, click on their name to see email addresses)
3. Call / Write to them today and tell them to support SB 6045, Agricultural Worker Collective Bargaining Act
Our local Independent farmworker union Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ) and their legal team co-authored this legislation in order to secure farmworkers the same legal rights to collective bargaining and unionization guaranteed to nearly all other worker groups.
Farmworkers, the overwhelming majority of whom are from Mexico, and are Indigenous Mixteco, Triqui, brown people and immigrants, are currently and always have been one of the most exploited and undercompensated labor groups. When the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) was drafted in the 1930s, farmworkers were intentionally excluded to appease politicians who opposed labor protections for Black workers. Legislation to rectify this racist exclusion in the agricultural industry is long overdue.
The Agricultural Worker Collective Bargaining Act SB 6045/HB 2409 would give farmworkers the same rights other employee groups have under employment law by:
- Creating a process for farmworkers to organize and elect representatives
- Requiring employers (i.e. agro-businesses) to bargain union contracts with workers.
- Providing clear oversight and enforcement through the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC), which is prepared to take on this role.
- Reducing reliance on prolonged boycotts, strikes, or federal claims that don’t protect farmworkers.
Read more : why the WA State Labor Council supports this effort.
Thank you & Solidarity!
