Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has signed a bill extending unemployment benefits to striking workers, including public employees—a first in the U.S.
The law allows eligible strikers to begin collecting benefits after two weeks on the picket line, with payments capped at 10 weeks.
Oregon joins New York, New Jersey, and Washington in offering such support, but is the first to include public sector workers, who are barred from striking in most states.
Across the U.S., many states restrict or outright ban strikes by public employees. North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Texas have blanket prohibitions on public sector walkouts and collective bargaining.
These limits are often justified by the potential disruption to essential services and the financial burden on taxpayers, since public employers typically don’t contribute to unemployment insurance funds.
Oregon’s law attempts to address that by requiring school districts to deduct benefits from employees’ future wages if they strike.
The bill follows a wave of high-profile strikes in the Pacific Northwest, including actions by nurses and teachers in Oregon.
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