During a hearing of the Illinois House Labor & Commerce Committee, NFIB Illinois State Director Noah Finley testified against legislation that would permit striking workers to collect unemployment benefits.

The measure, HB 2565 (Vella), would permit striking workers to collect unemployment benefits after two weeks on the strike.

Finley noted that when NFIB balloted its Illinois members, nine out of ten small business owners opposed giving unemployment benefits to striking workers.

“This bill would further increase the liabilities of the trust fund, increasing the outflow of funds and weakening its financial balance,” Finley said. He noted that a lower unemployment insurance trust fund balance will, in turn, drive up small business unemployment assessments and result in higher unemployment taxes for Main Street businesses.

Even without this change, the state’s unemployment trust fund balance is projected to decline this year, with collections from employers projected to come in under the amount the state is paying out to unemployed workers.

This projected deficit is due, at least in part, to Illinois’ relatively high unemployment rate. In December, Illinois had one of the highest unemployment rates in the Midwest and the nation.

TAKE ACTION NOW AND TELL LAWMAKERS TO STOP UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR STRIKING WORKERS