FIRST ON FOX: Republican lawmakers are introducing legislation on Wednesday that would prohibit striking workers from receiving unemployment benefits, as states like Oregon, Washington, New York, and New Jersey all offer coverage for those workers.
The Securing Help for Involuntary Employment Loss and Displacement (SHIELD) Act would make it a federal requirement that an individual applying for unemployment is not disqualified soley due to a “strike or other labor dispute,” with the exception of a lockout. However, it would bar unemployment benefits if they individual is “providing financial support to or has a direct interest in” the dispute.
“Choosing not to work is just that, a choice,” Rep. Rudy Yakym, R-Ind., said in a statement on the legislation he’s sponsoring.
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“While far-left states like Oregon and Washington are busy handing out unemployment checks like participation trophies to anyone who walks off the job, the SHIELD Act puts an end to that nonsense. These radical policies disrupt the labor market, let workers walk off the job without consequences, and leave small businesses high and dry. If you choose to strike, you don’t get to collect a check from hardworking Americans, plain and simple,” he added.
A major business group, the National Federation of Independent Business, is backing the proposal.
“The SHIELD Act restores fairness to the unemployment system by ensuring benefits go to individuals who are involuntarily unemployed,” said Tyler Dever, vice president of government relations at the NFIB.
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“It brings balance to the employer-employee relationship and supports small businesses struggling to fill open positions. NFIB urges Congress to pass this legislation to protect the integrity of the system and strengthen the small business economy,” he added.
The legislation is co-sponsored by Reps. Aaron Bean, R-Fla.; Mike Kelly, R-Pa.; Blake Moore, R-Utah; Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas; Greg Murphy, R-N.C.; David Rouzer, R-N.C.; Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y.; and Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas.
The governors of both Oregon and Washington signed laws earlier this year allowing for striking workers to receive unemployment benefits.
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“Workers joining together in union and collectively bargaining to improve working conditions is as American as apple pie,” April Sims, president of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, said in a statement in May.
“But with stagnant wages and a rising cost of living, many workers don’t have a safety net if they are pushed to strike. Providing UI for striking workers will level the playing field by encouraging employers to bargain in good faith and making it harder for bad bosses to starve workers out. UI benefits will help striking workers survive while they fight for the union contract that will help them thrive,” Sims continued.
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