Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts H2168: An Act relative to unemployment compensation and labor disputes
Status: In committee, February 19, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, February 27, 2025:
Section 25 of Chapter 151A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out section (b) and inserting in place thereof the following:- (b) Any week with respect to which the commissioner finds that his unemployment is due to a stoppage of work which exists because of a labor dispute at the factory, establishment or other premises at which he was last employed for a period of 30 days following the commencement of the unemployment caused by the labor dispute, except that the period without benefits shall not apply if the employer hires a permanent replacement worker for the claimant’s position. A replacement worker shall be presumed to be permanent unless the employer certifies in writing that the claimant will be permitted to return to their prior position upon conclusion of the dispute. If the employer does not permit the return, the claimant shall be entitled to recover any benefits lost as a result of the 30 day waiting period before receiving benefits; however, no waiting period or disqualification under this subsection (b) shall apply 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 …
Sponsors
- Lindsay Sabadosa (D, 1st Hampshire) · primary sponsor
- Erika Uyterhoeven (D, 27th Middlesex)
- Danillo Sena (D)
- Margaret Scarsdale (D)
- Sean Reid (D)
- Tram Nguyen (D, 18th Essex)
- Samantha Montaño (D)
- McGonagle, Jr., Joseph W. (D, 28th Middlesex)
- Adrian Madaro (D)
- William MacGregor (D, 10th Suffolk)
- David LeBoeuf (D)
- Patrick Kearney (D, 4th Plymouth)
Latest actions
- : Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means
- : Hearing scheduled for 11/17/2025 from 11:00 AM-12:20 PM in B-1
- : Hearing rescheduled to 11/17/2025 from 11:00 AM-12:20 PM in B-1 and Virtual<br> <span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">Hearing date changed</span>
- : Hearing scheduled for 11/17/2025 from 11:00 AM-02:00 PM in B-1
- : Senate concurred
- : Referred to the committee on Labor and Workforce Development
Votes
- Committee Vote - Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development (February 13, 2026): 10 yea, 0 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is H2168?
- H2168 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): An Act relative to unemployment compensation and labor disputes.
- What is the status of H2168?
- In committee as of February 19, 2026. Latest action: Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means (February 19, 2026).
- Who sponsored H2168?
- Lindsay Sabadosa (D, 1st Hampshire), with 11 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for H2168?
- On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H2168
Source: official Massachusetts record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.