Oregon’s Unions Celebrate SB 916B Passing State House

Today, the Oregon House of Representatives voted 33 to 23 to pass Senate Bill 916B, landmark legislation designed to extend unemployment benefit eligibility to striking workers. The bill will next go back to the Oregon State Senate for a concurrence vote to approve amendments added in the House Committee on Labor and Workplace Standards.  

Graham Trainor, Oregon AFL-CIO President, responded to today’s vote in the Oregon House: 

“Today’s vote in the Oregon House of Representatives to send SB 916B forward in the legislature is the culmination of prolonged advocacy by union members, advocates for workers’ rights, and the thousands of Oregonians who have engaged in this effort. We are inspired by the tremendous efforts of working people across the state who have sent letters, made phone calls, and submitted testimony to share why SB 916B matters to them. 

Oregon’s workers and their unions will continue to advocate for this bill until it is signed into law.  Our mission to build a fair and just economy for all working people hinges on bold, progressive policies like SB 916B which will ensure that workers on strike do not have to be forced into poverty or be starved-out to accept unsatisfactory offers at the bargaining table.”