Employers to pay striking workers up to 4 weeks in new WA bill proposal
Apr 15, 2025, 1:30 PM
Boeing machinist Charlie Bae reacts to honking cars while picketing outside the Renton Production Facility one day before striking union members will vote on a new contract offer in Renton, Washington on November 3, 2024. (Photo: Jason Redmond, Getty Images)
(Photo: Jason Redmond, Getty Images)
House Democrats passed a bill last weekend that would require employers to pay striking workers for up to four weeks, down from the 12 weeks originally proposed.
The bill, Senate Bill 5041, passed in the House despite six Democratic lawmakers deciding to vote against it. Now the bill moves back to the Senate, where it was originally drafted. The original proposal was for employers on picket lines to have up to 12 weeks of unemployment, but Senate Republicans argued it needed to be dropped to four. Despite their argument, the bill passed in the Senate with the original 12 weeks in place.
Once it arrived in the House of Representatives, the bill was amended to just four weeks of unemployment.
Rep. Kristine Reeves, D-Federal Way, who proposed the reduction, argued this bill needs to strike a balance due to the state’s $16 billion shortfall.
“As we are working to make hard decisions about program cuts…we are also fighting to ensure that striking workers have the opportunity to receive benefits to feed their families,” Reeves said during the legislative session.
Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, D-Mukilteo, argued the reduction from 12 weeks to four weeks is too damaging to the potential benefits that workers could receive.
“Right now, we have two states that allow the workers to collect unemployment insurance for any reason,” Ortiz-Self said during the legislative session. “We have nine that allow it for unfair practices, and 13 red and blue states are considering this right now with a 26-week cap; 12 weeks was a compromise.”
Could this bill lead to more strikes?
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SB 5041 comes at the heels of a seven-week Boeing strike occurring late 2024, which ended with a 38% pay raise over the next four years.
Republican representatives argued this bill “unfairly” tips the balance toward striking workers, giving them more leverage to prolong strikes. It could also lead to more expensive negotiations and solutions.
SB 5041 will return to the Senate floor for another vote before final adoption. Any additional change would also require House approval.
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