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House approves bill allowing striking workers to seek unemployment benefits, 106-97
Summary
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed House Bill 145 on Oct. 7, 2025, making striking workers eligible for unemployment compensation. The measure passed on final passage, 106-97, after a prolonged floor debate featuring labour supporters and opponents who warned of unintended consequences.
The House of Representatives on Oct. 7, 2025, approved House Bill 145, a measure that would permit striking workers to claim unemployment compensation, on a final-passage vote of 106-97.
Supporters said the bill would ease financial pressure on workers who withhold their labor as part of collective bargaining, while opponents said it would create perverse incentives and undermine private-sector employment.
Representative Krogewski, the bill’s sponsor, asked members for their support on the House floor and framed the bill as a workers’ protection. "Providing unemployment compensation for workers who are taking the courageous step of withholding their labor is a necessary intervention," Krogewski said.
Opponents called the bill an invitation to more frequent strikes and a misuse of unemployment benefits. Representative Krupa said the measure would be "a taxpayer funded vacation" for people choosing not to work and urged colleagues to vote no. Representative Jones recounted family experience with strikes and said unions already provide strike supplementation and that many struck workers undertake other paid work during labor actions.
Other members disputed the characterization that the bill would pay people to stay home. Representative Dawkins, majority chair of the House Labor Committee, read a list of unions and labor organizations supporting the bill and argued that workers do not typically "abuse" benefits. Representative Kinkade noted that unemployment compensation funds are paid into by employers and said the funds are not financed by general taxpayer dollars.
During debate, Representative Ledbetter and Representative Bernstein emphasized that striking is a voluntary choice and questioned whether the bill would incentivize work stoppages. The House clerk recorded the final tally after members voted by roll call. The majority required by the constitution voted in the affirmative and the clerk returned the measure to the Senate for concurrence.
The bill’s passage comes after prolonged committee consideration and floor debate that split members across ideological and regional lines. The legislation’s supporters said it would provide short-term financial relief to striking workers; critics warned of long-term economic consequences and potential abuse.
With final passage secured, the bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. The House record shows the yeas at 106 and nays at 97 on final passage.
