Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility PA House approves unemployment for striking workers

PA House approves unemployment for striking workers

Rep. Rick Krajewski, Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler    October 7, 2025 | 3:50 PM

HARRISBURG, Oct. 7 – Today, the Pennsylvania State House voted 106-97 to pass H.B. 145, providing unemployment compensation to striking workers.   

Current Pennsylvania statute explicitly bans working people who are on strike from receiving unemployment compensation, leaving many striking workers unable to pay rent or mortgage payments, buy groceries, and afford other necessities during contract negotiations.   

House Bill 145, introduced by state Reps. Rick Krajewski (D-188) and Elizabeth Fiedler (D-184) would amend Pennsylvania's Unemployment Compensation Law to remove this ban. Under the bill, workers impacted by labor-management disputes could collect benefits after the required one-week waiting period if they meet other standard UC requirements.   

“Going on strike is an incredibly important safeguard and option of last resort for workers fighting bad bosses. It is a federally protected right under the National Labor Relations Act. But what good is a right that we can’t afford to exercise?” Krajewski, D-Phila., said. “When our nation has created the wealthiest men in history while workers still struggle to put food on the table, providing unemployment compensation for workers who are taking the courageous step of withholding their labor is a necessary intervention.”  

Similar laws already exist in states such as New York and New Jersey. In nine other states, workers are eligible for unemployment insurance benefits while on strike in specific circumstances, such as an employer breaking a contract.  

Researchers have demonstrated nationwide that costs of providing these benefits accounts for a miniscule proportion of state UI spending – a fraction of 1%. There is no evidence that the availability of unemployment insurance leads to increased work stoppages. Even in states which provide UI, striking workers still give up the vast majority of their income and benefits.  

“Going on strike takes remarkable bravery, but it shouldn’t have to mean that you and your family go hungry,” Fiedler, D-Phila., said. “There are always going to be risks when going on strike, and unemployment compensation gives workers a basic degree of stability, allowing them to fight for better working conditions on a more level playing field.”