Bill
HB 6904
HB 6904 alters Connecticut unemployment benefits eligibility for striking workers, changing who can receive benefits and under what conditions.
Status and procedural history
- Bill No.: HB 6904 (File No. 191)
- Title: An Act Concerning Unemployment Benefits for Striking Workers
- Introduced: February 6, 2025
- Referred to: Joint Committee on Labor and Public Employees (2/6/25)
- Public hearing held: February 13, 2025
- Joint favorable recommendation: March 6, 2025
- Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis: 3/17/25
- Reported out of LCO; Favorable report and tabled for House calendar (House Calendar No. 144, File No. 191): March 24, 2025
Purpose and intent
- The bill concerns eligibility for state unemployment insurance (UI) benefits for individuals who are participating in a strike. Its apparent purpose is to change, clarify, or codify how workers engaged in strike activity are treated under Connecticut’s unemployment compensation rules.
Key provisions (based on bill title; full text not provided)
- Alters eligibility rules for UI benefits with respect to workers who are on strike. Possible changes could include one or more of the following:
- Denying UI benefits to workers who voluntarily refuse to work due to participation in an economic strike.
- Creating exceptions allowing benefits where the strike is a response to unfair labor practices or employer lockouts.
- Defining terms such as “strike,” “lockout,” “unfair labor practice,” and “qualified strike-related unemployment.”
- Establishing procedures for eligibility determinations, appeals, and employer reporting.
- Specifying effective date and whether changes apply retroactively.
Who would be affected
- Primary: Employees who participate in strikes and seek UI benefits; labor union members and non-union striking workers.
- Secondary: Employers (private and possibly public where applicable), labor unions, the Connecticut Department of Labor (administration and adjudication workload), and the state’s Unemployment Trust Fund/fiscal position.
- Stakeholders: Labor organizations, business groups, employment law practitioners, and community advocates.
Potential impacts
- Worker income security during labor actions: changes could reduce or expand access to benefits for striking workers.
- Labor relations incentives: benefit eligibility affects bargaining leverage and strike behavior.
- Fiscal and administrative effects: modifications may change UI outlays and require administrative rule or process changes; OFA analysis (requested) will outline estimated fiscal impacts.
- Legal/constitutional considerations: interaction with National Labor Relations Act standards and federal UI law could be implicated.
Next steps / recommendations
- Consult the bill’s full text and the Office of Fiscal Analysis (OFA) and Office of Legislative Research (OLR) reports for precise language, fiscal estimates, and legal analysis.
- Monitor future committee action, House floor scheduling, and any amendments that specify definitions, exceptions, or fiscal offsets.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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