Striking Baseball Players Can’t Collect Unemployment
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ALBANY, N.Y. — Striking baseball players will not be able to collect unemployment benefits in New York, state Labor Commissioner John Hudacs ruled Friday.
The action by Hudacs came after a state senator expressed outrage that New York was the only state where striking players could collect benefits. State Sen. Joseph Holland had promised to submit legislation that would keep major leaguers from collecting unemployment checks.
In making his decision, Hudacs cited state labor law that prohibits professional athletes from collecting benefits between seasons.
Hudacs decided the season ended Sept. 14, when owners canceled the World Series, and that since most players have multiyear contracts there is a reasonable chance the 1995 season will start as scheduled.
Only New York and Rhode Island, which doesn’t have any major league teams, offer unemployment benefits to striking workers.
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