Raised Bill No. 938, introduced in the January Session of 2023, proposes amendments to section 31-236 of the general statutes, specifically concerning unemployment benefits for workers involved in labor disputes. The bill seeks to change the conditions under which striking workers can receive unemployment benefits. Currently, workers involved in a labor dispute other than a lockout are not eligible for unemployment benefits. The bill proposes to delete the provision that disqualifies workers from unemployment benefits during a labor dispute and instead inserts new conditions for eligibility.

The new language specifies that workers can be eligible for unemployment benefits if a period of two consecutive weeks has passed since the commencement of the labor dispute, provided that the individual is not participating in, financing, or directly interested in the labor dispute, and does not belong to a class of workers who are involved in the dispute. Additionally, the bill clarifies the definition of a lockout and maintains that workers affected by a lockout are eligible for unemployment benefits. The bill is set to become effective on October 1, 2023, and has received favorable recommendations from the Labor and Public Employees Committee as well as the Appropriations Committee.