Oregon Public Broadcasting

The president of a major labor union in Washington State confirms that his organization is participating in discussions about a possible tax package to balance the state budget.

David Rolf is president of the Service Employees International Union - Local 775. It represents thousands of homecare and nursing home workers.

Rolf says one idea that should be on the table is extending Washington’s sales tax to include professional services like lawyer fees.

David Rolf: “I take my car to Jiffy Lube and pay sales tax for my $39 oil change and somehow Fortune 500 companies don’t pay sales tax when they hire $300 attorneys. I think we need to look at that.”

Rolf says his union is participating in discussions about the size and shape of possible tax packages.

Any tax hike passed by the Washington legislature would likely go to a vote of the people.

Majority Democrats in the legislature say it’s too early to talk about taxes. But several have indicated they expect tax hikes will be a part of the final budget.