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MEA calls on governor to sign “snow day” bill – and on schools to do right by hourly workers

May 12, 2019

MEA.org Capitol Comments

In a news release today, MEA called on Gov. Whitmer to sign the newly passed HB 4206,  which will allow schools to forgo making up days from this winter’s record-cold emergency days.  However, President Paula Herbart also called on school districts to do the right thing and pay hourly employees for lost wages for these newly forgiven days.
 
“The fact is, school districts don’t need the Legislature to tell them what is right – they can make that choice for themselves,” Herbart said. “With this legislation, districts will be receiving the same level of funding they were otherwise expecting – which means they have the money to pay these hourly workers what they would have made, without any budgetary impact. MEA is calling on all school districts to do the right thing for these workers and their families.”
 
While some hourly employees are paid for days when school is called off for weather and other emergencies, others are not.  With some districts experiencing more than 20 snow days this winter, that could mean weeks of lost pay. Language that would have required hourly school employees be paid for these extra emergency days was stripped from the bill by Senate leadership.  To help employees financially impacted by HB 4206, MEA has developed a draft letter of agreement that would make hourly workers whole for the time not being made up – and will be working with districts to adopt that LOA as soon as possible.
 Read more. . .