School Support Workers Seek ‘Living Wage’

Bill introduced by state rep from Allegheny County has 24 co-sponsors

By Danielle M. Smith - Public News Service
The Tube City Almanac
April 02, 2025
Posted in: State & Region

Pennsylvania school support staff and their allies met with lawmakers last week at the State Capitol, asking for their support of a bill to raise their wages to at least $20 an hour. They estimate House Bill 777 would benefit more than 41,000 workers. (Photo courtesy PSEA)

Amid a severe teacher and staff shortage, school support workers and their union allies rallied last week in Harrisburg for what they called a living wage.

More than 100 people gathered on the Capitol steps and met with lawmakers to gauge their support for House Bill 777, which they said would raise wages for more than 41,000 school staff members.

The bill was introduced by State Rep. Dan Miller, Mt. Lebanon Democrat, and currently has 24 co-sponsors, including two from the Mon Valley, State Rep. John Inglis of West Mifflin and State Rep. Brandon Markosek of Monroeville.

Aaron Chapin, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said that if enacted, the law would raise the pay for support staff in public schools to a living wage of at least $20 per hour.

“About 45 percent of our colleagues that are support professionals would benefit from raising the wage to $20 an hour,” Chapin said. “And unfortunately, so many of our educational support professionals, they're not able to make ends meet with the current salaries that they have. Many of them have a second job.”

Chapin said the bill would raise support staff wages by about $3 an hour. A survey by the union last fall found four of five Pennsylvania voters would support a $20 minimum wage for school support staff.

So far, all of the co-sponsors of the bill are Democrats.

Marc Howshall, vice president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association's Education Support Professionals Division and a custodian for the Bangor Area School District, said better wages and working conditions are crucial. He supports the new push for higher pay and argued it is key to keeping workers in the profession.

“A living wage would coexist with $20 an hour, and it would impact more members,” Howshall said. “Through the surveys and talking to people, it came to fruition that’s the case. It will help a lot more members to be able to survive, to be able to live a little more comfortable, instead of just at — really, in some cases — the edge of poverty.”

Rudy Burruss, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association’s Education Support Professionals Division and a paraprofessional for the State College Area School District, works with students with disabilities and said he has had to juggle multiple jobs to make ends meet.

While most workers he has spoken with said they chose the field for the love of the kids, Burruss stressed a raise would help them breathe a little easier.

“We’ve been working, we’ve been doing the job. We haven’t been paid what we should be, but we work because we love the kids, and what we’re doing,” Burruss said. “This will help ease some of that financial burden. People are making choices between loving their profession and loving the work they do, and trying to make ends meet.”

Originally published April 02, 2025.

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