LANSING — House Republicans voted today to gut protections for hourly school employees, stripping compensation from school bus drivers, custodians and other hourly workers affected by mandatory closures during declared states of emergency. The previous bipartisan solution in House Bill 4206 included protections for these essential employees who could otherwise lose pay. Though the previous bipartisan solution passed by a vote of 101-7, today’s gutted bill passed with only Republican support by a vote of 56-53. In response, Vanessa Guerra (D-Saginaw) issued the following statement:
“To keep our students safe and successful in their classrooms, we have a responsibility to ensure the wellbeing of our kids, parents and school employees. Protecting these hourly workers isn’t just some luxury we can cast aside; it’s how we make sure they can continue to provide for their families by putting food on the table and a roof over their heads. I am disappointed to see House Republicans fall in line with their Senate colleagues to remove those basic protections and punish hardworking Michiganders for reasons outside of their control. Our schools and school employees deserve a better deal.”
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