Local 7-641, Oil, Chemical & Atomic Workers International Union v. Department of Labor

The question presented is whether the employees in this case, who claim that they were “constructively” locked-out by their employer as a result of a labor dispute between the parties, are entitled to unemployment compensation benefits by virtue of the 1975 amendment to section 604 of the Unemployment Insurance Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1975, ch. 48, par. 434). A claims adjudicator of the Division of Unemployment Insurance determined that the employees were ineligible for benefits, and the Director of Labor, adopting the report and recommendation of his representative, denied benefits. The circuit…