California lawmakers advanced a bill on Wednesday that would allow workers who go on strike for more than two weeks to receive unemployment insurance benefits.
The various unions supporting SB 1116, introduced by state Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-Burbank), say that walking off the job is a last resort for workers, who forgo their regular pay and often struggle to afford basic necessities as they fight for better wages.
However, the 4-to-1 vote by the state Senate’s Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee to move the bill forward followed opposition testimony from a long line of business group representatives.
“Striking is a negotiating tactic and, of course, a difficult one, and it’s hard on all parties involved. But we view it as fundamentally different from being unemployed,” Robert Moutrie, a senior policy advocate with the California Chamber of Commerce, told the committee.
He added that employers, who finance unemployment benefits through a payroll tax, worry they’d be forced to “subsidize” striking workers and pay for additional costs.