The bill amends Section 28-44-16 of the General Laws in Chapter 28-44, titled "Employment Security — Benefits," specifically addressing the issue of labor disputes and their impact on unemployment benefits. The amendment includes the insertion of the title "28-44-16. Labor disputes." It removes the prohibition against individuals receiving benefits if they became unemployed due to a strike or other industrial controversy in the establishment where they were employed. The previous condition that exempted individuals from this prohibition if they were not part of the organization responsible for the labor dispute and were not participating in or directly interested in it has been deleted.

Furthermore, the bill clarifies that individuals are entitled to benefits if their unemployment is due to their employer's lockout aimed at resisting collective bargaining demands or gaining concessions. It deletes the previous exceptions that denied benefits if the employer was part of a multi-employer collective bargaining group and the lockout was in response to a strike at another member of that group, or if the employer had offered an extension of existing conditions to the labor organization representing the claimant. The bill also states that if unemployment continues for more than one week after the conclusion of a labor dispute, an individual who is otherwise eligible shall be entitled to benefits. The act would take effect upon passage and aims to allow unemployment benefits for workers who are on strike or locked out of their workplaces due to a labor dispute.

Statutes affected:
587: 28-44-16