National Guard member Vegerano drives a school bus around the base with a safety trainer in Reading, MA on Sept. 15, 2021.
Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
- From Minnesota to New York, governors have activated the National Guard to ease labor shortages.
- In Massachusetts, over 200 troops were deployed to drive school buses.
- Here’s how — and why — the National Guard is being used to fill essential worker roles.
School districts across the nation struggled to hire enough bus drivers this year. A national driver shortage persists due to a variety of factors, including low wages, COVID-19, a lack of funding, and increased demand for workers with commercial driver’s licenses.
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Source: Insider
In September, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker activated 250 National Guard members to drive school buses, citing local staffing shortages.
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Source: Insider
The New York National Guard was similarly activated to combat labor shortages in nursing homes this December. Nearly 75% of nursing homes reported an overall “worsening situation with their workforce” this year.
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Source: Insider
The 120 Guard members activated to work in New York nursing homes are certified medics whose civilian jobs “do not involve work in the healthcare field,” Eric Durr, the New York National Guard’s Director of Public Affairs, said.
Anna Kern
One of the primary concerns about using National Guard troops to combat labor shortages is that it removes members from their civilian jobs, potentially creating tangential employment gaps.
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Source: CNBC
The recent activation is part of the New York National Guard’s COVID-19 mission that began in March 2020. A total of 983 personnel have helped create vaccination sites, logistics facilities, and put together testing kits throughout the state.
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According to US Code Title 32, federally funded National Guard personnel can conduct missions at the direction of the state’s governor. However, not all governors have agreed to send troops on labor-related missions.
Tech. Sgt. Rebecca Imwalle/US Air National Guard
Source: Ed Week
Some worry that funneling military personnel into the workforce will prevent economic corrections for the working class, such as increased wages and improved benefits.
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Source: Tribune of the People (Opinion)
The White House even considered deploying the National Guard to work at shipping ports during the supply-chain crisis, but said the move is unlikely.
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Source: CNN Business
National Guard members have helped administer COVID-19 vaccines across the country. Oregon, California, Maine, New Hampshire, and Minnesota have all activated the Guard for pandemic-related missions this year.
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Source: CNBC
Since March of last year, 4,000 Ohio military personnel were activated for 70 state missions, including supporting vaccination centers, distributing food at local food banks, and processing unemployment claims.
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Source: Ohio National Guard
From the pandemic and labor crisis to protests and natural disasters, the National Guard has stayed busy combatting “domestic emergencies” over the past two years. “The scope and duration of the missions have been unprecedented,” Ohio Adjutant General John Harris Jr., said in a statement.
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Source: Ohio National Guard