Washington state’s latest legislative move to provide unemployment benefits to workers engaged in strikes is yet another misguided liberal policy that threatens the balance of power between employers and employees. Governor Bob Ferguson’s recent signing of Engrossed Senate Bill 5041 is being praised by Democrats and union bosses, yet it sets a dangerous precedent that could disrupt our economy and harm the very workers it claims to help.
Under the new law, striking or locked-out workers in Washington state become eligible for unemployment benefits after 15 to 21 days on the picket line, depending on the strike date. Workers can then receive state-funded checks for up to six weeks, providing financial support throughout potentially prolonged strikes. Supporters argue this legislation will empower workers by ensuring they aren’t financially devastated by striking. But let’s be clear about what this legislation really does: It tips the scales heavily in favor of big labor unions, emboldening them to prolong strikes, hold businesses hostage, and ultimately jeopardize the health of the local economy.
Democratic State Senator Marcus Riccelli, the bill’s sponsor, claims striking is simply “a last resort” and that this bill “levels the playing field” for workers negotiating for fair wages and safe working conditions. Joe Kendo, chief of staff for the Washington State Labor Council, echoed this sentiment, suggesting the law would lead to fewer strikes by forcing employers to negotiate more cooperatively. However, the reality is quite the opposite. When the government subsidizes strikes by offering unemployment benefits, unions face reduced pressure to compromise and reach agreements quickly. Instead, they can afford to draw out negotiations, hurting productivity and creating economic uncertainty.
Patrick Connor, Washington state director for the National Federation of Independent Business, rightly called out the law’s damaging implications: “Granting unemployment benefits to striking workers effectively subsidizes work stoppages. This, coupled with a union’s own strike fund, incentivizes prolonged strikes. Government tipping the balance in a labor dispute in this way can only harm the struck employer and local small businesses unwittingly caught up in the controversy.”
The impact of this law isn’t limited to the businesses and workers directly involved in labor disputes—it extends to the entire state economy. Elizabeth New, director of the Center for Workers Rights at the Washington Policy Center, highlighted a troubling long-term consequence: employers may decide Washington is no longer a desirable place to operate. This means fewer jobs, lower wages, and diminished economic opportunity for hardworking Washingtonians. “There’s only so much money to go around,” New warned, underscoring the economic realities Democrats prefer to ignore.
Supporters of the bill, including Kendo, argue that the financial impact on the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund will be minimal. They cite an estimate from the Employment Security Department suggesting a mere $1.4 million increase in benefits during strike months, compared to the $120 million monthly average paid out. But even if the immediate costs seem small, the long-term implications are severe. Once unions realize the government is willing to subsidize strikes, we can expect labor disputes to multiply. Small businesses, already struggling to recover from the reckless economic policies of the Biden era, cannot afford additional disruptions.
Moreover, consider the slippery slope this creates. What’s next? Expanding unemployment benefits to workers who simply decide they’re unhappy with their pay or conditions, without even organizing an official strike? Such moves undermine the fundamental principle that unemployment benefits are meant to support workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own—not to bankroll labor disputes.
Washington state’s unemployment insurance trust fund, with a balance just under $4 billion, is meant to support those genuinely unemployed, not to subsidize political and labor showdowns. This irresponsible legislation risks draining funds that hardworking taxpayers have contributed, all to placate union bosses and radical labor activists.
It’s time for conservatives and common-sense voters across Washington and the nation to push back against policies that reward prolonged strikes and punish businesses. Economic prosperity relies on a balanced, fair labor market—not on government interference tipping the scales. This new law is not just bad economics; it’s bad policy that will hurt the very workers it aims to help.
