Cal­i­for­nia pass­es leg­is­la­tion to let strik­ers qual­i­fy for unem­ploy­ment ben­e­fits

(The Cen­ter Square) – A bill to require California’s heav­i­ly indebt­ed unem­ploy­ment insur­ance fund to pay strik­ing work­ers has passed the state leg­is­la­ture and now heads to the governor’s desk.
Under exist­ing law, strik­ers are not eli­gi­ble for unem­ploy­ment ben­e­fits until the strike is over. If Gov­er­nor Gavin New­som signs SB 799 into law, strik­ers would be eli­gi­ble for receiv­ing unem­ploy­ment ben­e­fits two weeks into a strike. Sup­port­ers specif­i­cal­ly cit­ed the ongo­ing Hol­ly­wood strike and the Unite Local 11 hos­pi­tal­i­ty strikes in jus­ti­fy­ing the bill.
“Today’s vote was a vic­to­ry for the writ­ers, the actors, the hotel work­ers, the autowork­ers, the nurs­es and every work­er who has made the dif­fi­cult sac­ri­fice to go out on …