© 2024 WEMU
Serving Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, MI
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Teacher 'Sickouts' In Michigan Schools May Become Illegal

Classroom
Wikipedia Media Commons
/
wikipedia.org

Legislation meant to stop teacher “sickout” protests is one step closer to becoming law. 

Bills meant to crack down on teacher “sickout” protests are moving forward in the Michigan Senate.  The bills would define the sickouts as illegal teacher strikes in state law.  The protests have closed dozens of Detroit schoolsin recent weeks.

A legislative panel approved the legislation on Tuesday while adding more teeth to the bills. New language would temporarily block unions from representing teachers and collecting dues in districts where sickouts are happening.  “We’ve identified clearly that there’s gaps in the strike law in Michigan.  They’re running through those gaps,” said Senate Education CommitteeChair Phil Pavlov (R-St. Clair).  “And so, we want to make sure we close those gaps for the good of the kids.”

Critics of the legislation say it would take away teachers’ only way to protest problems in their classrooms.  “They got the attention on the rats, the mold, and all the deplorable conditions that were in DPS.  And that would not probably have happened if it weren’t for those (protests),” said state Senator Morris Hood III (D-Detroit).  Hood says the bills could cause problems as lawmakers try to negotiate a rescue package for Detroit Public Schools.  “We’re on the heels of trying to put together – on both sides of the aisle – a fix for DPS. And this doesn’t help matters any at all,” he said.

State Senate Majority LeaderArlanMeekhof (R-West Olive) says the bills probably won’t get a vote before the Senate has a chance to take up the DPS rescue package.  

Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter

— Jake Neher is the State Capitol Reporter for the Michigan Public Radio network.  Contact WEMU News at734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org

Related Content