Member Benefits

In addition to the benefits that come from being a part of a unified community of workers — like a strong union contract! — PROTEC17 membership includes access to many other resources. We offer professional development funds, a scholarship program, and a Member Discount Program through Working Advantage — details below. Along with the lowest union dues in the Pacific Northwest, the benefits of being a dues-paying PROTEC17 member are unsurpassed!

As one of the last projects to wrap up our 2023-2025 Strategic Plan, we’ve created union membership cards for all active, dues-paying members — our first PROTEC17 membership card EVER!

These wallet-sized cards will be mailed to all members starting the week of January 26. (Keep your eyes peeled for our laminated postcard with the pop-out card.) We’ll also launch a digital version of the card that you can download to your smartphone wallet. 

These personalized card contains your name, the year you joined PROTEC17, your union member identification (ID) number and a corresponding bar code. Moving forward, we will use your unique member ID number to improve our electronic voting, and we are building a system that will use the barcode to scan into PROTEC17 meetings and events. The card also contains pocket-sized reminders of our mission statement, helpful web links, and your right to union representation. In the months and years to come, we will also be seeking out local discounts and benefits for showing that you’re a proud, card-carrying union member!

If you don’t receive your card, or find an error on your card, you can request it to be reissued HERE. Please note that to keep costs low, we only print cards 2-3 times per year, so it may take several months for you to receive a new card.

The PROTEC17 Professional Development Fund is designed to encourage and support the ongoing education and professional development of our members.

An annual fund of $10,000 will be made available each year for awards on a first-come, first-served basis to individual members seeking monetary resources for job-related, continuing education opportunities, such as seminars, classes, workshops or conferences that are not covered by their employer or another party. All eligible, dues-paying members are encouraged and welcome to apply!

THE FINE PRINT: Individual awards are available in amounts of up to $200 per member through Dec. 15 of the calendar year, or until the fund is depleted for the year, whichever is first. The award operates on a reimbursement basis, so qualifying documentation must be provided to meet our financial regulations, and the educational activity must take place within the calendar year for which you are seeking reimbursement. To ensure timely reimbursement, please submit your application as close as possible to your educational activity. Due to financial restrictions, we cannot reimburse for travel expenses (even if related to work travel) or for student loan payments.

You can find the application HERE. When you submit your application, please include all appropriate documentation as listed in the application.

The last day to submit applications for the 2026 Professional Development Fund is Dec. 14, 2026 in order to allow ample time for processing before the end of the fiscal year. 

Questions? Please contact Deidre Girard, PROTEC17 Communications Director.

You may also want to check your individual contract for additional professional development benefits. Some contracts offer similar benefits for members in specific jurisdictions.

The PROTEC17 annual scholarship program awards two $5,000 scholarships to the child, grandchild or dependent of an active member who wishes to continue their education beyond high school at a college, university, or technical institute. One scholarship will be for an individual starting his/her/their first year of college, and the other will be for an individual continuing their education beyond freshman year.

The 2025 scholarship program is now CLOSED.  Please check back in spring 2026 for next year’s scholarship application and information. 

If you have questions about the program, please contact Deidre Girard, PROTEC17 Communications Director, at 206-328-7321 ext. 130.

We’ve teamed up with Working Advantage to offer dues-paying PROTEC17 members special access to discounts on travel, tickets, dining, shopping, services, and more! Working Advantage has partnered with many unions and organizations to offer 1,000s of discounts on things that working people use everyday. This partnership came about as we explored one of the goals in our 2023-2025 Strategic Plan to expand the PROTEC17 Member Benefits Program.

Participation is completely optional and on an opt-in basis — we do not give Working Advantage any member information. If you do create an account with them, we have been assured that they do not sell or store your personal information. 

See our introductory email, or visit the PROTEC17 Member Portal, for your access code.

Through our partnerships with other unions and labor councils, we’re able to offer additional benefits to our members.

Washington State Labor Council

The WSLC is widely thought of as one of the best and most proactive Labor Councils in the nation. The WSLC has an effective legislative advocacy program to help build support for PROTEC17 legislative priorities, and it has played a leading role in winning model policies that benefit ALL workers — from our indexed minimum wage, to paid sick leave, paid family and medical leave, and overtime pay protections. Being a part of the WSLC makes PROTECT17 stronger for the same reason we are all union members in the first place — there is strength in our unity. The WSLC also offers direct benefits for affiliates and their members, including: dislocated worker training, apprenticeships, workers’ compensation assistance. They also publish the award-winning online labor newspaper, The Stand.

Unionized childcare and home care 

Carina is a nonprofit technology organization connecting qualified, unionized child care and home care workers to those who need care through an online matching service that quickly and safely finds available care providers. A project of SEIU775 and other labor, community, and government organizations, Carina aims to provide caregivers with good wages, benefits and union representation, while providing parents, families, low income seniors and people with disabilities with quality, licensed care to meet their needs. PROTEC17 members can use this easy, reputable service by visiting the Carina website: https://carina.org. You can read more about the program HERE.