Supporting and Protecting Michigan Workers

Michigan’s workers didn’t just aide the rise of the auto industry, they helped give birth to the American middle class.

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, our brave and dedicated essential workers — first responders, health care professionals, grocery store workers, truck and bus drivers, food processors, gas station, postal and correction workers and more — once again rose to meet this unprecedented challenge.

While we work to protect those who have sacrificed so much to protect us, Michigan House Democrats are committed to ensuring that all Michigan workers receive the financial security they deserve to build a life, save for their children’s education and plan for the future.

Delivering on Our Commitment

We’re proud to say that we’ve taken important steps to deliver on our commitment to build a stronger future for Michiganders. We’ve secured funding for the priorities our communities care about most, including:

$ 0 M

to increase support for direct care workers.

$ 0 M

for additional hazard pay for first responders.

Michigan House Democrats will support and protect workers by:

Establishing emergency funding for safety and personal protection equipment.
Requiring rapid testing and priority for first responders, medical care professionals and other frontline and essential workers.
Providing workers’ compensation coverage for COVID-19 illness and ensuring the presumption of contraction protections.
Requiring hazard pay for frontline workers.
Establishing administrative leave with full pay for COVID-19 related absences due to exposure, quarantine, treatment and recovery and prohibiting disciplinary action.
Ensuring childcare is available for essential workers.
Increasing direct care workers hourly rates including home health and state psychiatric workers.

Restoring the prevailing wage so workers are compensated fairly for their labor.
Repealing Right-to-Work to ensure Michiganders have the ability to bargain together for fair wages, safe working conditions and well-deserved retirement benefits.
Ensuring Michigan workers are paid what they’ve earned by tackling wage theft and tax fraud.
Guaranteeing equal pay for women for equal work and experience as their male colleagues
Providing our state’s hardworking men and women with meaningful paid sick leave to give them the opportunity to take care of themselves or their loved ones when they are ill.
Holding corporations accountable and push back against corporate welfare that lines the pockets of CEOs instead of being used to support Michigan’s workers.