As a result, unions do it regardless of the legality. “Washington has seen 78 school districts strike since 1976,” the Columbian newspaper said in 2018. “Injunctions were filed in 25 of those,” but in 12 of them “teachers defied the injunctions.” Unions calculate that getting a hefty contract might outweigh any penalty imposed by a judge. After a 2018 strike, Evergreen teachers nabbed a salary increase of 11.5%.
The state Legislature could change the calculus by adding penalties for public union strikes, but Washington politics is union friendly. This spring lawmakers passed a bill, effective in January, to let striking workers collect unemployment benefits, though the money must be paid back if a court deems the walkout illegal.