California Assembly Passes Bill Supported By WGA & SAG-AFTRA That Would Provide Unemployment Insurance For Striking Workers
deadline.comA bill that would provide unemployment insurance to striking workers in California passed the state Assembly on Monday and now is headed to the Senate Labor Committee and then to the Senate floor.
If passed there, Senate Bill 799 would go to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature. A similar bill passed the Assembly in 2019 but failed in the Senate by two votes.
The bill has received the backing of the Writers Guild, which has been on strike since May 2, and SAG-AFTRA, which has been striking since July 14.
Strikers in New York and New Jersey are entitled to collect unemployment benefits after two weeks on the picket line, but those in California aren’t eligible because they’re considered to have left their jobs “voluntarily.” “California is seeing an unprecedented number of striking workers who are facing significant uncertainty about the economics of their industries and changing business models,” State Sen.
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