Labor & Employment

Mid-Columbia jobs market in a bit of a funk

Thu, 07 May 2026 21:00:00 -0400

The Tri-Cities continues to see the typical seasonal drop in its unemployment rate as the weather warms, but the job market isn’t what it was a year ago.

Mid-Columbia residents among fallen workers to be honored at state ceremony

ty@tcjournal.biz — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:00:00 -0400

A man who died from an illness resulting from his work as a concrete fabricator and a 21-year-old crushed by a front loader at a Richland construction site are among the 115 fallen workers state officials will honor Tuesday.

Trump proposal to streamline jobs program funding would cut funding to states

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Tucked into President Donald Trump’s new budget request is a plan that could dramatically change — and, critics say, slash — how much money and help states provide to people needing jobs and training.

State labor association gives Mid-Columbia lawmakers low marks

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Labor organizers are calling the recent 2026 legislative session a success for workers and their families and calling out lawmakers who didn’t support their efforts.

Kadlec nurses vote in favor of new contract

ty@tcjournal.biz — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Safety improvements. Wage increases. Restful breaks. Nurses at Kadlec Regional Medical Center secured key gains in working conditions under a new contract ratified by members of the hospital’s nurses union on March 31, according to a release.

Mid-Columbia health care workers approve new union contract with care provider

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Certified nursing assistants at a Richland nursing home and others in the Yakima Valley unanimously approved a new labor contract that would increase wages 8% over two years if ratified.

Washington’s gender wage gap is widening, study finds

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 21:00:00 -0400

The wage gap between men and women in Washington is the second widest in the country.

Auto parts retailer to pay $5.6M for denying employee pregnancy, nursing accommodations

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 21:00:00 -0400

A national auto parts retailer that a year ago had to pay more than $160,000 in illegally eliminated sick time to its Washington state employees must now pay millions for discriminating against employees.

Richland farmworker advocacy organization gets funding for workplace safety

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 21:00:00 -0500

A Richland-based nonprofit focused on promoting and protecting the contributions of farmworkers is among nine organizations across the state to share in $1.1 million in workplace safety grants.

Prosecutors allege exploitation of foreign workers brought to Mid-Columbia through fraud

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 21:00:00 -0500

Three Tri-City residents are among four individuals indicted for allegedly obtaining temporary work visas under false pretenses and bringing 500 workers from Mexico to Eastern Washington between 2022-24.

State to continue with limiting unemployment benefits call center hours

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 21:00:00 -0500

A test run of reducing the hours of when state residents could call and speak to a state employee about how to apply or check on the status of unemployment benefits isn’t changing anytime soon.

Jobs report shows a historic stall in hiring last year

thenderson@stateline.org — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 21:00:00 -0500

The revisions show the United States added only 181,000 jobs last year — the first year of the new Trump administration — one of the lowest increases ever outside recessions.

Construction labor market contracts nationwide in December

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 21:00:00 -0500

All but one metro area in Washington state lost construction jobs in December compared to the same time a year prior, according to the latest jobs data released by federal labor officials.

WSU biz school launches lifelong learning initiative

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 21:00:00 -0500

Looking to enhance skills for your career or prepare for a professional reset? Washington State University’s Carson College of Business has a new online learning platform to help you.

Kennewick schools seek businesses for student job fair

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 21:00:00 -0500

Kennewick School District’s annual student job fair is coming up and is looking for businesses interested in offering real-world opportunities for the next generation of workers.

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

erick.bengel@wsu.edu — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 21:00:00 -0500

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.

Kadlec nurses plan informational picket amid contract negotiations

ty@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 21:00:00 -0500

Members of Kadlec Regional Medical Center’s nurses union will provide information about their top concerns in ongoing contract negotiations during an informational picket on Jan. 26.

U.S. Senate passes funding bills for Hanford, PNNL

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 21:00:00 -0500

A three-bill package that will pay for the cleanup at the Hanford site and research activity at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is headed to President Donald Trump’s desk.

Largest Employers

nathan@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 09:00:01 -0500

New bill would shield WA immigrant workers from surprise raids

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 21:00:00 -0500

In response to increased immigration detentions across the state, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and other state lawmakers have introduced the Immigrant Worker Protection Act for the 2026 session.

In Washington orchards, immigration crackdown sows fear and uncertainty

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0500

Immigrants not legally authorized to work in the U.S. represent an estimated 40% of the people who help to produce many fruits, vegetables and other labor-intensive crops.

Toppenish ag company reaches $1 million settlement with WA AG

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0500

For the third time in 2025, a Mid-Columbia agricultural operation has agreed to a settlement with state justice officials for reportedly treating workers unfairly.

WA leads in expanding apprenticeship opportunities

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0500

The number of apprentices nationally and in Washington state has increased more than 70% in the past decade, according to a new report from the Washington Student Achievement Council. Washington currently has close to 16,000 active apprentices, who are paid to work while they receive classroom instruction.

WA construction workforce continues to shrink

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0500

While construction employment appears to be expanding in many places around the country, that labor force continues to shrink in Washington state.

WA joins states opposing Trump’s $100k H-1B visa fee

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0500

Washington state is joining 20 other states in opposing the Trump administration’s move to increase the cost of H-1B visa petitions for high-skilled foreign workers to $100,000.

Report: Clean energy sector to add more than 46K jobs by 2032

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0500

Even as the federal government withdraws support for clean energy projects and legal challenges against those same projects continue from tribal, environmental and community advocates, the industry is still expected to boom in the coming years.

Contractor with Tri-Cities ties faces safety violation fines

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0500

A contractor with offices in Pasco has been fined by the state Department of Labor & Industries after a 3,000-pound piece of equipment fell and crushed a worker at a southwest Washington jobsite.

Wallula plant to close paper machine resulting in loss of 200 jobs

ty@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0500

The long-operating packaging manufacturing plant in Wallula will cut 200 jobs by the end of March 2026 as it permanently shutters part of the facility to cut production costs.

Farmworkers sue over Trump’s low wages for foreign guest workers

thenderson@stateline.org — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 21:00:00 -0500

A California union and a group of farmworkers from around the country—including one from Sunnyside and several others working in the state’s vineyards—are suing to stop new, lower-wage federal guidelines that save money for farmers but cut pay for temporary foreign agriculture workers, hurting local laborers as a result, the suit alleges.

Latest Providence layoffs hit Richland, Walla Walla hospitals

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 21:00:00 -0500

Providence’s latest round of layoffs will leave a mark at two of the region’s largest hospitals.