On May 19th, WA Governor Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 5041, legislation that Gov. Ferguson outlined as “Allowing striking workers to access unemployment insurance benefits creates a more level playing field for workers to have the resources they need to effectively bargain for better working conditions.” The bill is effective January 1st, 2026, and will expire on December 31st, 2035.
Initially, the bill proposed benefits lasting up to 12 weeks for striking workers. However, the bill faced fierce scrutiny in the State House from corporate-backed Republicans. The bill was eventually settled to 6 weeks after Republican opposition attempted to lower the threshold to 4 weeks.
Workers will be eligible for benefits starting between 15 to 21 days after the beginning of the strike, depending on the day the strike starts. If a contract is ratified before that time, benefits will not be issued.
April Sims, president of the Washington State Labor Council, stated “No one wants to go out on strike… Going out on strike is the absolute last resort and workers that strike do so because there is simply no other option.”
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