In the hallowed halls of the Seattle Labor Temple, there is a great deal of history to soak up. The Temple, located in the historic Belltown neighborhood, was built in the mid-20th century out of a need for the city’s many dock workers to have a meeting place. It stands as a beacon to those hard-fought decades in American history when organization among workers was paramount.
The Seattle Labor Temple has long served as a hub for union offices and a safe space for union meetings. It is still home to dozens of tenants, and a working food bank. With the tech boom, many labor meeting places have sold out to the rise in construction, moving to the outskirts or even the suburbs of the city. But the Seattle Labor Temple survives, keeping its ground in glorious fashion. It stands, if nothing else, as a symbol to workers to also stand their ground amidst sweeping changes.
But there has been discussion of late on what to do with the building, which, along with its storied union history is also known now for the strong and odd scents emanating from its hallways. Some say the decades-old halls emanate an aroma of cleaning materials, worn leather, cigar smoke, and old rug.
Renovations were reported in 2021, and images of the building with a rough worn exterior and boarded-up windows is now replaced with a clean updated facade suggesting the Temple is here to stay.
