I'm an IAM machinist who struck from September to November 2024, then got laid off in December. Does the strike period hurt my Washington ESD weekly benefit?

It can, if the strike quarter falls in your standard base period. Your standard base period for a December 2024 layoff is Q3 2023 through Q2 2024 — the strike (Q3-Q4 2024) falls outside that, so standard base period calculations aren't affected for most December 2024 layoffs. For January 2025 onwards, the strike quarters begin entering the standard base period. In that case, explicitly request the alternate base period calculation when you file with ESD — this uses your four most recently completed calendar quarters. ESD will calculate both and use whichever results in higher benefits. The alternate base period rule is specifically designed for situations like work stoppages that create wage gaps.

Boeing offered me a transfer to Everett from South Carolina. I have kids in school in Charleston. Does refusing the transfer disqualify me from South Carolina DEW?

Not automatically. South Carolina DEW applies a "good cause" test for relocation refusals under § 41-35-120. Established family ties (school-age children, dependent family members), homeownership, and length of residence in South Carolina all weigh toward "good cause" for declining relocation. The distance matters too — Charleston to Everett is nearly 2,800 miles; DEW has recognized in past adjudications that cross-country relocation with established family ties can constitute good cause. If initially denied, appeal within 10 days. Bring documentation: children's school enrollment records, mortgage or long-term lease documents, and any written Boeing communications about the transfer. DEW's appeals process allows you to present your family circumstances directly to a hearing officer.

My Boeing severance is based on years of service. Washington ESD asked about it when I filed. Will it delay my benefits?

Washington treats severance pay differently based on its structure. Lump-sum severance — a one-time payment based on tenure rather than future weeks of employment — generally doesn't defer your benefit start date under Washington law. Salary continuation (Boeing keeps paying you as an active employee for X weeks) does. When you filed, ESD asked about the payment to make this classification. If Boeing paid you a lump sum and your last day of employment was clear, your UI should start from that last day. If there's a dispute about whether it was a lump sum or salary continuation, request a formal determination in writing from ESD so you have a record to appeal if needed.

Laid Off from Boeing? Unemployment Guide for Affected Workers

Boeing cut roughly 17,000 jobs in late 2024 — about 10% of its global workforce — after the 737 MAX 9 door plug blowout in January and a seven-week IAM strike that ended in November. For workers at the Renton 737 plant (King County) and the Everett 777/787 campus (Snohomish County), the claims process ran through Washington ESD. South Carolina (Lowcountry/Charleston area, the 787 non-union plant), Missouri (St. Louis defense), and California (El Segundo defense) had their own state agencies to navigate.

What union recall rights actually do — and don't do — for IAM machinists in Washington

Being on an IAM Local 751 recall list doesn't automatically make you ineligible for Washington ESD. Washington Administrative Code WAC 192-150-025 is the relevant rule: you qualify for UI while on a recall list as long as you're genuinely available for other work — not exclusively holding out for Boeing. What that means in practice: the three required job contacts per week can include one Boeing HR inquiry about recall status, but the other two need to be genuine applications or contacts at other employers. A machinist who is only "available" for Boeing isn't truly in the labor market under Washington law. This is a real distinction that has caused claim denials for workers who believed recall list placement automatically preserved benefits regardless of job search.

The 2024 post-strike layoffs created a specific complication: workers who had been on strike (and thus collecting strike pay from the IAM International, not wages) returned briefly when the contract settled November 4, then were among those laid off weeks later. Their base period wage calculation looked thin because the strike weeks showed zero wages. Washington ESD's base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. Workers who struck for 7 weeks in Q4 2024 may find their high-wage quarter knocked out of the base period calculation, potentially lowering the weekly benefit amount even though they earned full Boeing wages for most of 2024. The fix, where it exists: Washington allows you to file using either the standard base period or an "alternate base period" (the four most recently completed calendar quarters). Workers affected by the strike wage gap should specifically request alternate base period calculation when filing.

South Carolina's Boeing workers and the relocation decision

Boeing's North Charleston 787 plant employs non-union workers. South Carolina's Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) at dew.sc.gov handles claims. South Carolina pays a maximum of $326/week for up to 20 weeks — substantially less than Washington's $1,152. The state imposes a 1-week waiting period.

Boeing has periodically offered South Carolina workers relocation to Washington State facilities. The UI question when an employee declines relocation: South Carolina, like most states, treats refusal of a "suitable work offer" as potentially disqualifying. Whether relocation from South Carolina to Washington constitutes "suitable" work is a genuine legal question. South Carolina DEW adjudicates relocation-refusal cases by weighing the distance, the worker's established ties in South Carolina (family, property, duration of residence), whether the wages and conditions offered in Washington are genuinely comparable, and whether transportation and housing costs make the relocation financially viable. South Carolina code § 41-35-120 governs this. Workers who decline Boeing relocation and face DEW denial have grounds to appeal — particularly if they have family dependents, own property in South Carolina, or can demonstrate that comparable work exists in their local labor market.

The 60-day WARN math for California and federal defense contracts

Boeing's El Segundo facility in Los Angeles County (defense, space, and security division) is subject to California's WARN Act (Labor Code § 1400-1408), which requires 60-day notice for layoffs of 50+ workers at a single location. Boeing has generally complied with California WARN filings, which are public records searchable at the California EDD WARN database (edd.ca.gov). For El Segundo workers: if a WARN notice was filed, verify the 60-day timeline and whether Boeing paid wages through the notice period or separated you immediately. California EDD processes involuntary separations from WARN-covered layoffs as standard qualifying claims. The WARN filing itself serves as documentation of the involuntary nature of the separation.

Official Resources

Washington ESD: esd.wa.gov/unemployment
South Carolina DEW: dew.sc.gov
California EDD (El Segundo): edd.ca.gov
California WARN database: EDD WARN database
Washington WAC 192-150-025 (recall list rules): Washington State Legislature

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm an IAM machinist who struck from September to November 2024, then got laid off in December. Does the strike period hurt my Washington ESD weekly benefit?: It can, if the strike quarter falls in your standard base period. Your standard base period for a December 2024 layoff is Q3 2023 through Q2 2024 — the strike (Q3-Q4 2024) falls outside that, so standard base period calculations aren't affected for most December 2024 layoffs. For January 2025 onwards, the strike quarters begin entering the standard base period. In that case, explicitly request the alternate base period calculation when you file with ESD — this uses your four most recently completed calendar quarters. ESD will calculate both and use whichever results in higher benefits. The alternate base period rule is specifically designed for situations like work stoppages that create wage gaps.
Boeing offered me a transfer to Everett from South Carolina. I have kids in school in Charleston. Does refusing the transfer disqualify me from South Carolina DEW?: Not automatically. South Carolina DEW applies a "good cause" test for relocation refusals under § 41-35-120. Established family ties (school-age children, dependent family members), homeownership, and length of residence in South Carolina all weigh toward "good cause" for declining relocation. The distance matters too — Charleston to Everett is nearly 2,800 miles; DEW has recognized in past adjudications that cross-country relocation with established family ties can constitute good cause. If initially denied, appeal within 10 days. Bring documentation: children's school enrollment records, mortgage or long-term lease documents, and any written Boeing communications about the transfer. DEW's appeals process allows you to present your family circumstances directly to a hearing officer.
My Boeing severance is based on years of service. Washington ESD asked about it when I filed. Will it delay my benefits?: Washington treats severance pay differently based on its structure. Lump-sum severance — a one-time payment based on tenure rather than future weeks of employment — generally doesn't defer your benefit start date under Washington law. Salary continuation (Boeing keeps paying you as an active employee for X weeks) does. When you filed, ESD asked about the payment to make this classification. If Boeing paid you a lump sum and your last day of employment was clear, your UI should start from that last day. If there's a dispute about whether it was a lump sum or salary continuation, request a formal determination in writing from ESD so you have a record to appeal if needed.