Item No.  6a_Motion 
Date of 
Meeting Sept. 1, 2009,
THE SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION'S MOTION IN HONOR OF LABOR DAY 2009 
AND THE PORT AND PORT-RELATED WORKFORCE 
Statement in Support of the Motion 
The Port Commission of the Port of Seattle would like to take this opportunity to
recognize all of the hard-working men and women who built this state and the Port of Seattle. 
The State of Washington is fortunate to have one of the most skilled and dedicated workforces in
the country. 
Since Labor Day was established as a national holiday on the first Monday in
September by the United States Congress in 1894, the nation has honored the great American
worker whose tireless efforts have made the United States the most prosperous country in the
world and a leader among nations. 
The Port Commission would also like to acknowledge the important role that organized
labor has played in the state's history and development. 
The Port of Seattle has a long and productive history of working with organized labor in
ways that support the Port's mission to advance trade and commerce, promote industrial growth,
stimulate economic development and create jobs. Approximately half of the 1,700 employees of
the Port of Seattle are unionized and are represented by sixteen (16) different labor unions. An
additional 11,000 union members work for Port-related industry at Seattle-Tacoma International
Airport and the Seaport.
This year, all employees shared the burden of reducing the Port's 2009 operating
expenses by agreeing to furlough employees or taking other reductions to help the Port withstand
the effects of the downturn that has weakened the economy, curtailed international trade, and led
to over six million job losses.
Motion 
The Port Commission of the Port of Seattle hereby acknowledges the essential role of working
men and women employed at the Port or in Port-related industries and congratulates them on the
occasion of Labor Day 2009. It is through their hard work that the Port of Seattle has grown and
thrived. It will be the workers at the Port and at all of our Port partners who will help our region
and State through this recession and into economic recovery.