Democrats propose bill to ensure families of striking workers don’t go hungry
The Food Secure Strikers Act would authorize Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for striking workers and their families.
Congressional Democrats introduced a bill on March 26 to protect union workers and their families from losing eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during strikes.
SNAP, previously known as the Food Stamp Program, provides debit cards to low-income households that can be used to purchase groceries.
In 1981, under President Ronald Reagan, the law authorizing food stamp benefits was changed to say that if a worker goes on strike, they are only eligible for the benefit if they qualify based on their regular income, effectively making most striking workers ineligible. This was part of what promoters of the move said was an effort to save money by reducing the number of people on the program.
The Food Secure Strikers Act of 2025, introduced in both chambers of Congress and sponsored by Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC), Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), would change the law to explicitly make striking workers eligible for SNAP. According to the sponsors’ press release, it would also prohibit public sector workers who are fired for striking from being denied SNAP eligibility.
Thirteen senators and 36 representatives, all members of the Democratic caucus, are cosponsors of the bill. Those backers include Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin.
The bill is backed by labor unions across the country, including the National Education Association, the Teamsters, the Communications Workers of America, and the American Federation of Teachers, according to the bill’s sponsors.
“No worker should be denied access to basic nutrition simply because they are exercising their right to strike,” said United Food and Commercial Workers International Union President Marc Perrone in a press release. “No one should have to choose between feeding their family and exercising their right to take action for a better future.”
The bill is also backed by the Food Research & Action Center, a nonprofit organization that works to combat poverty-related hunger in the United States.
“Hunger should never be a consequence of standing up for fair wages and better working conditions,” the group’s SNAP director Salaam Bhatti said in a statement. “The Food Secure Strikers Act would repeal draconian restrictions on striking workers from receiving SNAP benefits and ensure they and their families can continue to put food on the table as they advocate for positive change.”
