Oregon Senate Passes Bill to Pay Striking Workers Unemployment Benefits

Oregon lawmakers have passed Senate Bill 916 to allow workers involved in labor disputes to receive unemployment insurance benefits, subject to certain conditions, while on strike.

The Oregon State Senate passed the bill on Thursday. It will not go to the Oregon House of Representatives for final approval and enactment.

The legislation proposes that striking workers cannot receive payment for two weeks to qualify for unemployment benefits, after which they will be entitled to receive weekly cash payments based on their previous earnings provided the strike continues and they remain eligible.

Health Benefits Will Not be Paid to Workers on Strike

The bill does not, however, extend health benefits to striking workers.

The bill does not allow workers to receive simultaneous payments of back pay and unemployment benefits. In the event this happens, workers will have to repay any unemployment benefits received.

Bill 916 defines labor disputes as both strikes and lockouts and specifies that strikes are a legal and concerted refusal by employees to work. It defines a lockout as occurring when employers refuse to allow employees to work because of a labor dispute.

The bill was opposed by Republican lawmakers who proposed a minority report containing several amendments. They suggested extending the unpaid period for striking workers from two to five weeks and treating benefits as interest-free loans repayable within a year.

Other amendments suggested by the Republicans banned public employees from striking and mandated final and binding arbitration for labor disputes. However, the Senate voted against their minority report.

Oregon will become the first state to pay striking workers unemployment benefits if Bill 916 is passed.