HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry President and CEO Luke Bernstein today issued the following statement after the Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted to advance House Bill 145:
“State lawmakers should be focused on policies that strengthen our economy, not ones that make us less competitive. House Bill 145, which passed the state house earlier this week, rewrites 90 years of legal precedent by extending unemployment benefits to individuals who voluntarily go on strike — a move that is unsustainable, extreme, and quite frankly, unamerican.
“Even in states like California and Connecticut, Democratic governors recently vetoed similar bills because of the damage they would do to their economies and the strain they would place on unemployment systems. Pennsylvania employers already pay some of the highest unemployment taxes in the country, more than 50 percent above the national average. H.B. 145 would drive those costs higher, tilt the playing field during labor disputes, and drain a trust fund that is already below federal solvency standards.
“The Senate should reject this legislation and continue working toward policies that attract investment, create jobs, and keep Pennsylvania competitive.”