Posts tagged Hilton Seattle Pioneer Square
A Boeing strike could give the state’s UI fund a much bigger test
September 24, 2026 // This year, benefits paid for by employers and traditionally meant for workers who lose work through no fault of their own became available to people who are employed but who choose not to work, too. And the Washington state Employment Security Department told me that as of Sept. 14, 174 striking workers have been paid benefits so far in 2026, accounting for 814 paid weeks and $604,491 from the Unemployment Trust Fund. That is up surprisingly little from Aug. 5, when ESD reported 151 paid claimants, 741 paid weeks and $565,714. (I say “little” recognizing that even a dollar given to a person choosing not to work takes away from a fund that has been relied on as a safety net for workers who lose their jobs.)