Washington Legislature
WA bill to offer unemployment pay to striking workers falls short
A bill to extend unemployment benefits to striking workers failed to pass the Washington Legislature before a key deadline last
Lizz Giordano
Lizz Giordano is Cascade PBS's investigative reporter, focused on following working conditions, government oversight procedures and labor organizing efforts across Washington state.
Latest work
Investigations
A WA bill would extend unemployment pay to workers on strike
Advocates say fear of financial hardship undermines bargaining leverage. Opponents say the bill will increase business costs or prolong work stoppages.
Investigations
Legislators are shaping their staff’s collective bargaining rights
But workers it would affect can’t weigh in. Ethics rules prevent them from lobbying on bills — even ones that would define their ability to unionize.
Investigations
Over a third of WA’s job safety fines are reduced after appeals
One company negotiated a $1.3M reduction with the state’s safety agency after a worker’s hand was crushed, following multiple other violations.
Investigations
WA bridges still in poor condition, despite $630M in federal aid
The state transportation agency has allocated about 13% of early funding for repairs, but more is needed to address the backlog of projects.