What's happening
This bill increases the suspension period from one week to two weeks for striking workers seeking unemployment insurance benefits.
Why it matters
Extends the financial hardship on striking workers. by doubling the time they must wait before accessing unemployment benefits, which could discourage strikes or make them riskier for workers.
May shift bargaining power toward employers. in labor disputes, as striking workers face a longer period without income support, potentially weakening union leverage during negotiations.
Preserves exceptions for workers replaced permanently or not directly involved in the dispute. , but increases the penalty timeframe and potential financial liability for employers who break these rules.
Could have broader impacts on labor relations and strike activity. in New York, possibly reducing the frequency or duration of strikes by raising the economic stakes for participating workers.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Delay Jobless Pay for Strikers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Signed chap.20
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.10
- Substituted for A9136
- Referred to ways and means
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 42–16
- Ordered to third reading cal.202
- Referred to rules
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Delay Benefits for Striking Workers
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Sean Ryan
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7310
IN SENATE
January 17, 2020
Introduced by Sen. KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to increasing the length of the suspension period applicable to certain striking workers who seek to obtain unemployment insurance benefits
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivisions 1 and 3 of section 592 of the labor law, as amended by a chapter of the laws of 2019 amending the labor law relating to decreasing the length of the suspension period applicable to certain striking workers who seek to obtain unemployment insurance benefits, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.4573 and A.6592, are amended to read as follows:
1. Industrial controversy. (a) The accumulation of benefit rights by a claimant shall be suspended during a period of [one week] two consecutive weeks beginning with the day after such claimant lost his or her employment because of a strike or other industrial controversy except for lockouts, including concerted activity not authorized or sanctioned by the recognized or certified bargaining agent of the claimant, and other concerted activity conducted in violation of any existing collective bargaining agreement, in the establishment in which he or she was employed, except that benefit rights may be accumulated before the expiration of such [one] two week period beginning with the day after such strike or other industrial controversy was terminated.
(b) Benefits shall not be suspended under this section if:
(i) The employer hires a permanent replacement worker for the employee's position. A replacement worker shall be presumed to be permanent unless the employer certifies in writing that the employee will be able to return to his or her prior position upon conclusion of the strike, in the event the strike terminates prior to the conclusion of the employee's eligibility for benefit rights under this chapter. In the event the employer does not permit such return after such certification, the employee shall be entitled to recover any benefits lost as a result of the [one] two week suspension of benefits, and the department may impose
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14860-01-0
S. 7310 2
a penalty upon the employer of up to seven hundred fifty dollars per employee per week of benefits lost. The penalty collected shall be paid into the unemployment insurance control fund established pursuant to section five hundred fifty-two-b of this article; or
(ii) The commissioner determines that the claimant:
(A) is not employed by an employer that is involved in the industrial controversy that caused his or her unemployment and is not participating in the industrial controversy; or
(B) is not in a bargaining unit involved in the industrial controversy that caused his or her unemployment and is not participating in the industrial controversy.
3. Terms of suspension. [The] No waiting period may be served during a suspension period.
The suspension of accumulation of benefit rights shall not be terminated by subsequent employment of the claimant irrespective of when the claim is filed except as provided in subdivision one and shall not be confined to a single benefit year.
A "week" as used in subdivision one of this section means any seven consecutive calendar days.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2019 amending the labor law relating to decreasing the length of the suspension period applicable to certain striking workers who seek to obtain unemployment insurance benefits, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.4573 and A.6592, takes effect.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the labor law, in relation to increasing the length of the suspension period applicable to certain striking workers who seek to obtain unemployment insurance benefits
Purpose
This is a Chapter Amendment that makes changes to provisions of a chap- ter of the laws of 2019, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 4573 and A. 6592.
Summary of provisions
This legislation amends the underlying chapter by ratifying changes made to the duration of the suspension period applicable to striking workers seeking unemployment insurance benefits.
Justification
While striking workers are permitted to receive unemployment insurance benefits, prior to the underlying chapter, striking workers had to wait until after the expiration of a 49-day suspension period. The underlying chapter sought to lessen the undue financial hardship on workers exer- cising their legally guaranteed rights to organize, bargain collective- ly, and strike and to align the amount of time that an unemployment insurance benefits claimaint must wait with the waiting period applica- ble to other claimaints. This chapter maintains this purpose but makes changes to the amount of time of the waiting period.
Legislative history
Chapter amendment to a chapter of the laws of 2019, as proposed in legislative bill numbers S. 4573 and A. 6592.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2019 amending the labor law relating to decreas- ing the length of the suspension period applicable to certain striking workers who seek to obtain unemployment insurance benefits, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 4573 and A. 6592, takes effect.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.