ICYMI: Rep. Schiff Introduces Bill to Grant Striking Workers Unemployment Insurance, Garners Support from Colleagues, Labor Unions
Washington, D.C. — In case you missed it, this week, Representative Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), joined by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Donald Norcross (D-N.J.), and over 35 colleagues, introduced the Empowering Striking Workers Act, legislation that has received broad support from over 20 unions and labor organizations.
Schiff’s legislation would ensure that workers exercising their legal right to collectively bargain are eligible for unemployment insurance benefits after 14 days of striking. This year, strikes have secured important advancements in pay, benefits and working conditions. Many individuals, particularly hourly workers and low-income people, do not have the same capacity to participate in strikes due to financial constraints. This lack of income can deprive workers from utilizing one of the most effective negotiating tactics, exacerbating income inequality.
See coverage of Schiff’s Empowering Striking Workers Act:
Los Angeles Times: California congressman offers bill to allow striking workers to collect unemployment pay
“The corporate executives who are sitting on one side of the negotiating table get paid during a strike, and workers should too, otherwise management can simply wait them out,” Schiff said in a statement. “Workers shouldn’t have to choose between better working conditions or putting food on the table.”
Spectrum News 1: Spurred by strikes, Schiff seeks to expand unemployment benefits
“The challenge today is not that people aren’t working. The challenge today is that people are working, but they’re just not making enough to get by,” said Schiff in an interview with Spectrum News. Over the years, workers have found it more difficult to negotiate strong contracts with fair wages, leading to more strike actions, especially in recent years.
[...] The bill has the backing of more than a dozen labor unions, including the AFL-CIO, SAG-AFTRA, UAW, WGA, Teamsters and the American Federation of Teachers, among others. It’s also sponsored by Reps. Donald Norcross, D-N.J., and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. All three are members of the Congressional Labor Caucus.
Los Angeles Daily News: U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff introduced a bill Wednesday to give striking employees unemployment insurance benefits
[...] Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. and Rep. Donald Norcross, D-N.J., introduced legislation Wednesday that would make striking workers eligible for unemployment insurance benefits after 14 days of striking.
Dubbed the “Empowering Striking Workers Act,” the bill has been endorsed by the United Auto Workers, American Federation of Teachers, Writers Guild of America-West and California Labor Federation, among others.
“We know that strong unions are vital to a strong middle class,” Schiff said in introducing the bill.
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