Are you or anyone you know interested in working for social change?

Union Summer is the paid ($23/hour) summer internship program for people interested in getting involved in the labor movement. Organized through the Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO, Union Summer participants will spend an exciting six weeks — June 23-August 1 — working full-time and hands-on with different campaigns — talking to our community, marching for justice, and gaining first-hand experience in the movement. The positions are based in and around Seattle, but campaigns may take place throughout the region.

Applications are now open for Union Summer 2026. The deadline to apply is May 17.

The program is divided into three main sections: education, actions, and on-the-job training. Weekly schedules can include attending rallies and staffing strike lines, registering voters, making job-site visits with union members, political field work, and more. Here’s what a typical Union Summer week could look like:

• Tuesday — Attend a rally early in the morning to support striking workers and end the day registering people to vote at a local farmers’ market.
• Wednesday — Make phone calls to union members reminding them to turn in their ballots.
• Thursday — Assist union staff with various responsibilities and attend a lobbying meeting with your supervisor and the mayor.
• Friday — Education Day. Learn about the history of the labor and social justice movements in the Pacific Northwest, and tour historical buildings.
• Saturday — Action Day. Knock on doors and talk to union members about local politics and elections.

If you have any general questions about Union Summer, send them to unionsummer@wslc.org.