Jimmy Matta
Mayor
City of Burien
Matta has been a resident of Burien since 1998. He was born in Preston, Idaho, the son of migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Later, he moved to Burien, where he worked in the building and construction trades.
Matta served as a labor leader for 20 years. He has served as a manager for minority-owned construction firms for several years in Washington and Oregon.
His commitment to the Burien community includes being a longtime labor and social justice activist and serving with the Pacific NW Regional Council of Carpenters and rising to the International Brotherhood of Carpenters.
His accomplishments in social justice and labor issues span from advocacy for civil rights, democracy, and broad participation in government by the people, and a strong commitment to our constitutional rights.
Matta supports many community and faith-based organizations both in the King County area and statewide that work on the following issues:
- Organized labor, family wage jobs
- Environmental justice
- Public safety
- Women and minority-owned businesses in public contracting opportunities
As a union labor leader, community advocate, and organizer, Matta has long sought to build bridges between organized labor, business, and our diverse communities of Washington. Matta has served as President of Carpenters Local Union 41 and President of the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters Regional Executive Board. He is currently a regional executive board member and Vice-Chair of The Latino Civic Alliance. He has served as president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (King County) and Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA).
Matta is a journeyman carpenter and has worked in commercial and residential construction in various capacities with minority and women-owned firms in Oregon and Washington state.
He has education and training in leadership development, budget, goal setting, SWOT analysis, conflict resolution, negotiations, labor relations, and collective bargaining.
Matta enjoys spending time with his family and engaging with his community. He is an avid reader and dabbles in the culinary arts. He enjoys supporting local businesses and building a strong familial bond with the residents of Burien.