MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Gov. Tim Walz is expected to announce his decision on fall school in less than two weeks, and some school workers are concerned about the unknown status of their jobs.
Obviously the governor’s decision on school will affect students, teachers, and parents. But there are more than just students and educators that work in and for schools, and they’re concerned they’re being forgotten in this decision.
Employees like bus drivers, maintenance workers, and special education paraprofessionals spoke out Thursday morning about their concerns.
One of them is that they have never been eligible for unemployment during the summer months. They say there is a state law that prevents hourly school workers from getting summer unemployment because typically they have good assurance they will have work again in the fall.
That is something they have been fighting for years, but this year with COVID-19, many hourly school employees are also out of work as summer programs were cancelled.
These workers are also upset that they still don’t know the status of fall school. It’s a matter of weeks away and they want to know if they’ll have jobs, and if they’ll have adequate supplies.
“We are in limbo not only to know whether or not they will be returning to school or whether or not we can do this safety, and we’re in limbo for no paychecks. These folks need unemployment and they need it now,” SEIU Local 284 executive director Kelly Gibbons said.
WCCO reached out to both to Walz’s office and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and we’re waiting to hear back. We do expect a decision on Fall schools by July 27.
Source: CBS Minnesota