Welcome to the Newsfeed.

This week we're taking a look at the state of workers unions in the Northwest, as some companies continue to slash staff, close stores and some workers allege union busting.

We're here at the University of Washington to learn what that underscores about the current climate of unions in Seattle and beyond.

Nationally, unions are in a tough spot, according to the associate director of the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, Andrew Hedden.

Washington has the third largest union density in the country, which means the state is a good place for unionized workers.

But giant Seattle companies like Starbucks, Amazon and REI, to name a few, are under scrutiny for their union practices.

Union density in the United States, that's the percentage of workers who are in a union is at a historical low.

It's around 10%, and the numbers are even lower for workers in the private sector.

Washington state, however, is a bit of an exception to that.

Its workforce is about 18% union.

But Hedden says that doesn't mean unionizing here in Washington is any easier.

Hedden says federal labor laws are outdated and the laws date back to the 1930s.

The primary employer is no longer a single factory where workers are all concentrated.

You have workers decentralized across lots of different places - service, healthcare, retail.

It's no longer manufacturing.

So labor law is out of date.

The Washington State Legislature can make some difference.

For example, in the last legislative session, it passed a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights for nannies, housekeepers, cooks and other domestic workers.

As far as the future for unions, Hedden says unless there's a change in federal law, there were likely not be an increase nationally in union numbers in the private sector.

All this week, we're bringing you stories about unions and unionization efforts in the region.

I'm Paris Jackson.

Thank you for watching the Newsfeed.