Washington legislation

For workers in Washington state, there are a number of bills being brought forward this legislative session that labor leaders hope will make working life better in the state.The Washington State Labor Council has introduced its legislative agenda for 2025, which focuses on improving child labor laws, bargaining over artificial intelligence in public sector jobs and improving wages and benefits.

When workers go on strike in Washington state, they don’t earn a dime. A new piece of legislation could change that. This bill would allow workers to eventually access unemployment benefits, starting the second Sunday after they began withholding their labor. Workers could claim up to four weeks of benefits through the state’s unemployment insurance, according to co-sponsor of the bill, state Sen. Steve Conway.

(Runtime :57) Jacob Johns is an artist and community organizer living in Washington. He recently finished painting a “Free the Vote” mural in Spokane to…