What is going on in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives? In a 106-97 vote, House Bill 1481 would provide unemployment compensation to striking workers.
What that means is you and I will pay the employees who have chosen to stand on a picket line instead of doing their job. If the employees at any business choose to strike, that’s their choice, but the consequences of not working, meaning no pay except for what the union may provide from a strike fund, is also their choice. The pressure is on both the company and the striking workers to bargain and get everyone back to work. However, if the strikers now get paid with unemployment compensation, they have less of a reason to end the strike and taxpayers (you and me) are helping to fund the shutdown.
You support union strikes, whether you want to or not
This bill effectively makes everyone, a member of the union, using your tax dollars dollars to support strikes. Several unions have voiced their support, as you would expect.
How did our local representatives vote?
Once again, the roll call vote shows our Representative Jake Banta voted against this bill while representatives Bizzarro, Harkins and Merski voted yes.
This bill will likely go nowhere in the PA senate.
If you like the way Representative Banta is voting, be sure to let him know.
Richard Locke says
Any politician that voted to give someone on strike unemployment pay should be voted out of office, impeached or kicked out of office. They are not in the best interest of the majority of the residents of Pa.