102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB0131

 

Introduced 1/14/2021, by Rep. Michael Halpin

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
820 ILCS 405/604  from Ch. 48, par. 434

    Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act. Provides that a claimant is not disqualified from obtaining benefits during a period of unemployment caused by a labor dispute if the labor dispute is caused by the failure or refusal of the employer to comply with an agreement or contract between the employer and the claimant, including a collective bargaining agreement with a union representing the claimant, or a State or federal law pertaining to hours, wages, or other conditions of work. Provides that a claimant shall not be provided benefits for a period of the first 30 days following the commencement of unemployment caused by a labor dispute, including a strike or other concerted activities of employees at the claimant's workplace, whether or not authorized or sanctioned by a union representing the claimant, but not including a dispute during which benefits are otherwise available. Provides that the 30-day waiting period shall not apply if the employer hires a permanent replacement worker for the claimant's position. Provides that if the employer does not permit the claimant to return to his or her prior position upon conclusion of the dispute, the claimant shall be entitled to recover any benefits lost as a result of the 30-day waiting period before receiving benefits. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning employment.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Unemployment Insurance Act is amended by
5changing Section 604 as follows:
 
6    (820 ILCS 405/604)   (from Ch. 48, par. 434)
7    Sec. 604. Labor dispute. An individual shall be ineligible
8for benefits for any week with respect to which it is found
9that his total or partial unemployment is due to a stoppage of
10work which exists because of a labor dispute at the factory,
11establishment, or other premises at which he is or was last
12employed. The term "labor dispute" does not include an
13individual's refusal to work because of his employer's failure
14to pay accrued earned wages within 10 working days from the
15date due, or to pay any other uncontested accrued obligation
16arising out of his employment within 10 working days from the
17date due.
18    For the purpose of disqualification under this Section the
19term "labor dispute" does not include a lockout by an
20employer, and no individual shall be denied benefits by reason
21of a lockout, provided that no individual shall be eligible
22for benefits during a lockout who is ineligible for benefits
23under another Section of this Act, and provided further that

 

 

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1no individual locked out by an employer shall be eligible for
2benefits for any week during which (1) the recognized or
3certified collective bargaining representative of the locked
4out employees refuses to meet under reasonable conditions with
5the employer to discuss the issues giving rise to the lockout
6or (2) there is a final adjudication under the National Labor
7Relations Act that during the period of the lockout the
8recognized or certified collective bargaining representative
9of the locked-out employees has refused to bargain in good
10faith with the employer over issues giving rise to the
11lockout, or (3) the lockout has resulted as a direct
12consequence of a violation by the recognized or certified
13collective bargaining representative of the locked out
14employees of the provisions of an existing collective
15bargaining agreement. An individual's total or partial
16unemployment resulting from any reduction in operations or
17reduction of force or layoff of employees by an employer made
18in the course of or in anticipation of collective bargaining
19negotiations between a labor organization and such employer,
20is not due to a stoppage of work which exists because of a
21labor dispute until the date of actual commencement of a
22strike or lockout.
23    This Section shall not apply if it is shown that (A) the
24individual is not participating in or financing or directly
25interested in the labor dispute which caused the stoppage of
26work and (B) he does not belong to a grade or class of workers

 

 

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1of which immediately before the commencement of the stoppage
2there were members employed at the premises at which the
3stoppage occurs, any of whom are participating in or financing
4or directly interested in the dispute; provided, that a
5lockout by the employer or an individual's failure to cross a
6picket line at such factory, establishment, or other premises
7shall not, in itself, be deemed to be participation by him in
8the labor dispute. If in any case, separate branches of work
9which are commonly conducted as separate businesses in
10separate premises are conducted in separate departments of the
11same premises, each such department shall, for the purpose of
12this Section, be deemed to be a separate factory,
13establishment, or other premises.
14    For any claim for a period of unemployment commencing on
15or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd
16General Assembly, no disqualification under this Section shall
17apply if the labor dispute is caused by the failure or refusal
18of the employer to comply with an agreement or contract
19between the employer and the claimant, including a collective
20bargaining agreement with a union representing the claimant,
21or a State or federal law pertaining to hours, wages, or other
22conditions of work.
23    For any claim for a period of unemployment commencing on
24or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd
25General Assembly, if the unemployment is caused by a labor
26dispute, including a strike or other concerted activities of

 

 

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1employees at the claimant's workplace, whether or not
2authorized or sanctioned by a union representing the claimant,
3but not including a dispute during which benefits are
4otherwise available under this Section, the claimant shall not
5be provided benefits for a period of the first 30 days
6following the commencement of the unemployment caused by the
7labor dispute, except that the period without benefits shall
8not apply if the employer hires a permanent replacement worker
9for the claimant's position. A replacement worker shall be
10presumed to be permanent unless the employer certifies in
11writing that the claimant will be permitted to return to his or
12her prior position upon conclusion of the dispute. If the
13employer does not permit the return, the claimant shall be
14entitled to recover any benefits lost as a result of the 30-day
15waiting period before receiving benefits, and the Department
16may impose a penalty upon the employer of up to $750 per
17employee per week of benefits lost. The penalty collected
18shall be paid into the Special Administrative Account.
19    Whenever any claim involves the provisions of this
20Section, the claims adjudicator referred to in Section 702
21shall make a separate determination as to the eligibility or
22ineligibility of the claimant with respect to the provisions
23of this Section. This separate determination may be appealed
24to the Director in the manner prescribed by Section 800.
25(Source: P.A. 93-1088, eff. 1-1-06.)
 
26    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon

 

 

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1becoming law.