Washington will pay unemployment benefits to striking workers

OLYMPIA — Labor advocates scored a win on Monday after Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a new law to extend unemployment benefits to striking workers in Washington. The governor’s conference room was packed with advocates and lawmakers who gathered to see Ferguson sign the law with his blue felt tip pen. “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,” Ferguson said before putting his signature on Senate Bill 5041.