FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
Contact: Patrick Connor, Washington State Director, patrick.connor@nfib.org
or Tony Malandra, Senior Media Manager, anthony.malandra@nfib.org 

OLYMPIA, Wash., Jan. 25, 2024—The state’s leading small business association is urging its members and other Main Street entrepreneurs to immediately call and email their state senators to urge them to reject Senate Bill 5777, which is eligible for a floor vote at any time.

“This outrageous measure would defeat the whole purpose of the unemployment insurance system, which is to give a temporary financial helping hand to workers who lost their job through no fault of their own,” said Patrick Connor, Washington state director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business association.

“Even as pro-union a governor as California’s Gavin Newsom vetoed a similar proposal in his state for the threat it presented to the solvency of his state’s unemployment insurance trust fund. Washington lawmakers would be wise to nip SB 5777 in the bud now.”

Traditionally, unions establish a strike fund to help members make ends meet if a work stoppage is likely to be called during contract negotiations. SB 5777 would relieve or at least reduce Labor’s obligation to take care of its striking members, shifting that burden to employers.

Employers pay 100% of unemployment taxes. The increased costs of providing unemployment checks to workers on strike would be spread among all employers in the system. Consequently, a small business far removed from the labor dispute in question could still see their UI taxes increase as a result of this benefit expansion.

Keep up with the latest Washington state small-business news at www.nfib.com/washington or by following NFIB on Twitter @NFIB_WA or on Facebook @NFIB.WA

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For 80 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven association. Since our founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.

NFIB Washington
111 – 21st Avenue Southwest
Olympia, WA 98501
360-786-8675
NFIB.com/WA