John Fetterman Wants Striking Workers to Get New Benefit

Senator John Fetterman wants to make striking workers eligible for a new benefit that would help them put food on their tables.

Fetterman introduced a new bill called the Food Service Strikers Act of 2023 on Thursday that would allow striking workers to qualify for Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, even if they didn't qualify for the federal funds before going on strike. SNAP, which is the largest federal nutrition assistance program, provides benefits to low-income individuals and households through an Electronic Benefits Transfer card that can be used like a debit card to purchase food.

The legislation comes as several high-profile strikes are taking place across the nation.

Currently, more than 150,000 actors and writers with the Writers Guild of America (WAG) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) are on the picket line across the country. There are also two strikes taking place in Fetterman's home state of Pennsylvania. They include the 1,400 members of United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers (UE) Local 506 and 618 as well as workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette who have been on strike for more than nine months.

"Every union worker who is walking the picket line this summer needs to know that we have their back here in Washington," Fetterman said in a press release. "As Chair of the Nutrition Subcommittee and an advocate for the union way of life, this bill is just plain common sense. I'm proud to introduce this bill that will eliminate the need for workers to choose between fighting for fair working conditions and putting food on the table for their families."

Eligibility for SNAP benefits varies based on the state. Applicants must live within the state in which they apply and meet certain income and bank balance limits.

Striking workers, even those who are unionized, often face financial insecurity during labor actions, but the loss of income during strikes is not accounted for under the eligibility requirements for SNAP. So, even if a worker qualifies for SNAP benefits while on the picket line, they cannot access food assistance if their financial standing before the strike would not have qualified them for the program.

UE Local 506 and 618 told Newsweek that Fetterman's bill would help all 1,400 members and their families.

"[Fetterman's] bill to allow striking workers to qualify for SNAP benefits would help us immensely in our struggle to make Wabtec provide family-supporting wages and benefits and hold them accountable to their workforce," Scott Slawson, the president of UE Local 506, said. Slawson represents the production workers at the Wabtec plant outside Erie, Pennsylvania, who make up the vast majority of the workers who are on strike.

"Workers should never be forced to choose between standing up for what's right and feeding their families," he said.

UE General President Carl Rosen also told Newsweek, "For decades, corporations have had the upper hand against workers, and it has resulted in stagnating wages, widening inequality and rampant corporate greed. Senator Fetterman's bill would be an important step in restoring power to workers so they can fight for a decent standard of living."

Fetterman's bill has also been endorsed by the United Food and Commercial Workers, Teamsters, National Education Association, Communications Workers of America, Food Research Action Center and Hunger-Free America.

Fetterman's legislation is co-sponsored by 13 other Democratic senators. Democratic Representatives Alma Adams of North Carolina and Greg Casar of Texas have also introduced similar versions of the bill in the House.