Great news! Ga. House blocks ban on unemployment for seasonal workers

Teamsters have been fighting for their unemployment benefits since last summer. Today they scored a victory.

This just in: The Georgia House of Representatives voted to protect 60,000 seasonal workers from a ban on collecting unemployment benefits.

Brother Eric Robertson from Teamsters Local 728 tweeted:

Successfully got language that eliminated unemployment benefits for school workers removed from HB 361. 60,000 workers protected. 

Teamsters represent school bus drivers who work for private companies. Traditionally they collect unemployment benefits when they're laid off over the summer. But this year, Labor Commissioner Mark Butler decided he didn't have to pay them. Teamsters are fighting that decision in the courts.

They proved today that when Teamster fight, Teamsters can win.

Here's the Atlanta Journal Constitution on the House action:

The House blocked a plan to bar seasonal employees such as bus drivers from receiving unemployment benefits over the summer. 

The measure was added in the Senate to House Bill 361, which began life as a bill to allow many workers to opt out at any time from automatic payroll deductions for union dues. 

Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, ruled Thursday that the Senate amendment violated the constitutional requirement that any bill deal only with one topic. 

The bill now goes back to the Senate in its original form. 

The ban on jobless benefits in the bill would affect seasonally unemployed bus drivers and other private-sector workers whose employers contract with public-sector entities such as school systems. Supporters said it would save the state up to $10 million annually.