Council Cheers Veto of Bill to Extend Unemployment Benefits to Striking Workers

California’s unemployment insurance program was established to assist workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own, but a misguided bill (SB 799) would have expanded the program to workers who voluntarily leave their jobs to go on strike. The Bay Area Council, which joined groups like the New California Coalition (NCC) to oppose the bill and request a veto, this week applauded Gov. Newsom for sending the legislation to the refuse bin.

In a statement thanking Newsom, Bay Area Council President and CEO Jim Wunderman said: “Extending unemployment benefits to workers who voluntarily leave their jobs to strike is patently unfair and fiscally irresponsible. We applaud Gov. Newsom for vetoing this misguided legislation. With the state unemployment insurance fund mired in $20 billion of debt that businesses of all sizes are on the hook for, it’s imperative we focus our attention on the higher priority of restoring this system to fiscal health and not adding to the problem. We can’t keep saddling business with more and more costs and expect the state’s economy to flourish.”

Working with the NCC, which Wunderman chairs, and other partners across the state, the Council remains focused on advocating for a stronger business climate in California that prioritizes jobs, investment and economic growth and we will continue to fight harmful bills like SB 799.