Happy chamber of origin cutoff day! In an overnight session, the Washington State House of Representatives voted 53 to 44 to pass a top priority bill for Cascadia’s workers and the progressive movement.
House Bill 1893, sponsored by Representative Beth Doglio (D‑22nd District: Olympia) would remove the prohibition against receiving unemployment insurance (UI) benefits for workers unemployed due to an employer-initiated lockout resulting from a strike against another employer in a multi-employer bargaining unit, according to a nonpartisan staff analysis. It would also allow striking workers to qualify for UI benefits on the Sunday following the first day of a strike.
“Employers can refuse to negotiate fair contracts with workers, force strikes, and use families’ financial distress as a bargaining strategy,” notes the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, which is championing the bill, in a fact sheet.
“Because striking workers lack access to unemployment insurance assistance, employers can use the threat of evictions, repossessions, and other economic hardships to suppress wages and working conditions.”
“By approving HB 1893/SB 5777, Washington can join New York, New Jersey and Maine in allowing workers to access unemployment insurance after more than two weeks on strike. This legislation, sponsored by Representative Beth Doglio and Senator Karen Keiser, will help level the playing field, discourage economic hardship as a bargaining strategy, and promote good-faith contract negotiations.”
Republicans signaled even before the House vote that they would be opposed, with Senator Curtis King even penning an op-ed to criticize the legislation.
“UI benefits are meant to help workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own, not to subsidize those who voluntarily go on strike,” argued King (R‑14th District: Central Washington), the ranking member of the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee. “Most unions maintain a strike fund to help workers who make that decision, paid for with dues collected from members.”
“Expanding eligibility to include striking workers flies in the face of the UI system’s purpose and ignores the fact that striking workers typically have a job to return to once a strike ends. Employees who have been laid off do not, nor do they have access to a strike fund to replace lost income.”
The House stayed in session well past 2 AM to work on the bill. Several Republican amendments were accepted, while others were rejected.
The roll call was as follows:
Roll Call
HB 1893
Unemp ins/strikes & lockouts
3rd Reading & Final Passage
2/12/2024Yeas: 53; Nays: 44; Excused: 1
Voting Yea: Representatives Alvarado, Bateman, Berg, Bergquist, Berry, Bronoske, Callan, Chopp, Cortes, Davis, Doglio, Donaghy, Duerr, Farivar, Fey, Fitzgibbon, Fosse, Goodman, Gregerson, Hackney, Kloba, Leavitt, Lekanoff, Macri, Mena, Morgan, Nance, Ormsby, Ortiz-Self, Orwall, Paul, Peterson, Pollet, Ramel, Ramos, Reed, Reeves, Riccelli, Rule, Ryu, Santos, Senn, Shavers, Simmons, Slatter, Stearns, Stonier, Street, Taylor, Tharinger, Timmons, Wylie, Jinkins
Voting Nay: Representatives Abbarno, Barkis, Barnard, Caldier, Chambers, Chapman, Cheney, Christian, Connors, Corry, Couture, Dent, Dye, Entenman, Eslick, Goehner, Graham, Griffey, Harris, Hutchins, Jacobsen, Klicker, Kretz, Low, Maycumber, McClintock, McEntire, Mosbrucker, Orcutt, Robertson, Rude, Sandlin, Schmick, Schmidt, Springer, Steele, Stokesbary, Thai, Volz, Walen, Walsh, Waters, Wilcox, Ybarra
Excused: Representative Chandler
Republicans unanimously opposed the bill.
The following Democratic members joined them in voting nay:
- Mike Chapman, 24th District
- My-Linh Thai, 41st District
- Debra Entenman, 47th District
- Larry Springer, 45th District
- Amy Walen, 48th District
NPI congratulates the House on its passage of House Bill 1893. This is encouraging news for working families in our region, and once again demonstrates that Washington is a state that values and protects collective bargaining rights.
