As previously reported in AGC Works, the Legislature is considering a bill to provide striking workers with Unemployment Insurance benefits. The State Senate, on a 28-21 vote, has now passed that measure (ESSB 5041). AGC opposes the bill, which is sponsored by Sen. Marcus Riccelli (D-3).
The bill was amended to limit benefits for strikers to 12 weeks. However, a different amendment, to limit benefits to four weeks, failed on the Senate floor by a single vote. Another change added on the Senate floor is a 10-year sunset, meaning the measure expires on Dec. 31, 2035, unless it is reauthorized by the Legislature.
A second adopted amendment requires an annual accounting of the cost of the measure to the UI trust fund. The report must include the total number of strikes occurring that year, the industry sectors in which strikes occurred, the number of employees that participated in each strike, the number of unemployment claims paid to workers participating in the strike, the total amount of unemployment benefits paid, the number of employers who experienced a rate class increase in the year following a labor strike, including the rate class for each employer without identifying information for the year prior to the strike and for the year following the strike, any increase in the social cost factor rate from the year prior to the strike and the year following the strike, and the benefits paid which are charged to employers who make payments in lieu of contributions (e.g., school districts).
This information will be helpful, particularly since the Senate added a 10-year “sunset” to the bill, meaning the measure expires on Dec. 31, 2035, unless it is reauthorized by the Legislature.
On final passage, two Democrat Senators, Mike Chapman (D-24) and Lisa Wellman (D-41), joined all Republicans in opposing the bill. The vote tally:
Voting Yea: Senator Alvarado, Bateman, Cleveland, Conway, Cortes, Dhingra, Frame, Hansen, Hasegawa, Kauffman, Krishnadasan, Liias, Lovelett, Lovick, Nobles, Orwall, Pedersen, Ramos, Riccelli, Robinson, Saldaña, Salomon, Shewmake, Slatter, Stanford, Trudeau, Valdez, Claire Wilson.
Voting Nay: Senator Boehnke, Braun, Chapman, Christian, Dozier, Fortunato, Gildon, Goehner, Harris, Holy, King, MacEwen, McCune, Muzzall, Schoesler, Short, Torres, Wagoner, Warnick, Wellman, Jeff Wilson.
The measure now moves to the State House of Representatives for consideration. For more information, contact AGC lobbyist Michele Willms.