Senate Bill 916 to Extend Unemployment to Striking Workers Passes Out of Committee

SB 916, which would lift the prohibition against striking workers applying for Unemployment Insurance, passed out of the Senate Committee on Labor and Business and is headed to a full vote of the Oregon Senate. After Senate passage, the bill will go to committee in the Oregon House of Representatives. 

More than 500 Oregonians submitted testimony in favor of the bill over the course of six public hearings, information, and work sessions.

In a compromise, the bill was amended to extend the waiting period before unemployment eligibility for striking workers from 7 to 14 days. The law also clarified that in the rare occasions that backpay is negotiated as part of a strike settlement, workers would pay back any unemployment benefits they may have received. 

Statement from Graham Trainor, President, Oregon AFL-CIO on passage of the bill from committee: 

“Union members are making their voices heard in Salem, and it’s making a difference. Striking is a last resort when employers refuse to bargain in good faith and use delay tactics to drag out contract negotiations. SB 916 will ensure that no one has to go hungry or miss rent payments and create a more level playing field between workers and employers. We thank the Chair of the Senate Committee on Labor and Business, Senator Kathleen Taylor, for her work on this bill to bring parties together for a reasonable compromise and urge swift passage by the full Senate and House of Representatives.”

The Oregon AFL-CIOis the state federation made up of over 288+ affiliated labor unions, representing over 300,000 workers.