Striking Workers Add to Deficit Risk for Washington Jobless Fund
State payments to striking workers reached 151 claimants, and critics warn the new benefit could strain the trust fund and raise employer taxes.
- Through the first seven months of 2026, Washington paid more than $565,700 in unemployment benefits to union workers on strike seeking better contracts.
- Senate Bill 5041, passed last year, grants striking workers up to six weeks of benefits; Sen. Marcus Riccelli championed the law to level the bargaining field for fair wages.
- Records from the Employment Security Department show 151 claimants received these benefits, accounting for 741 unique paid weeks during the first seven months.
- Elizabeth New of the Washington Policy Center warned the policy could trigger employer tax increases to rebuild the fund, stating "Employers should not be paying workers to strike against them."
- Rising benefit applications, including reports from workers at Hilton's Embassy Suites in Seattle's Pioneer Square, will be analyzed in an ESD annual report due by the end of 2026.
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Striking workers add to deficit risk for Washington jobless fund - The Daily Chronicle
Through the first seven months of the year, the state of Washington has paid out more than $565,700 in unemployment insurance benefits to union workers who walked off the job seeking a better contract. According to the Employment Security Department, that amount was paid to 151 claimants with 741 unique paid weeks. That number could soon climb dramatically, as striking workers at Hilton’s Embassy Suites in Seattle’s Pioneer Square have also repo…
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Striking workers add to deficit risk for Washington jobless fund
(The Center Square) - Through the first seven months of the year, the state of Washington has paid out more than $565,700 in unemployment insurance benefits to union workers who walked off the job seeking a better contract.
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