SOME 350 delegates from more than 140 local government jurisdictions will attend the 45th Biennial Convention to be held by Council 2 at the WestCoast Wenatchee Convention Center from June 1 to 3.

The convention, which meets every other year, sets the direction of the Union for the next two years.

International President Gerald McEntee and newly elected US Senator Maria Cantwell are tentatively scheduled to give keynote addresses at the convention.

A meeting of the State Executive Board will be held during the weekend.

Delegates will discuss a variety of topics that affect the union, including health benefits, current trends in bargaining and the impact of federal and state legislation on labor.

In addition, the campaign to stop Initiative 747 will be featured during the convention.

"Our conventions continue to grow and be a focal point of the Union every two years," says Chris Dugovich, Council 2 President and Executive Director. "Now that our membership is topping 15,000, it becomes a larger and larger event."

The traditional golf tournament will precede the convention on Friday morning. It will be held at the Three Lakes Public Golf Club.

Council 2’s executive board meeting will be held Friday afternoon and the convention will convene, after the people breakfast, on Saturday morning. Tickets for the people breakfast may be purchased prior to the convention from any Council 2 Staff Representative.

Council 2 General Counsel Audrey Eide will be a featured speaker at the Women’s Committee Breakfast on Sunday. The recipient of the Mary Hersey Award will be announced at the event.

The convention will reconvene on Sunday. Among the workshops to be held during the convention will be those on new delegate orientation, labor history, deferred compensation, political action and initiatives.