Family Values @ Work and Local Activists Applaud Pittsburgh City Council’s Passage of a Paid Sick Days Bill
For Immediate Release: August 3, 2015
Contact: Margy Levinson, Margy.Levinson@berlinrosen.com
Pittsburgh becomes 21st city to pass a citywide paid sick days bill
Bill will guarantee 49,000 Pittsburgh workers access to paid sick days
PITTSBURGH—Working families in Pittsburgh achieved a huge victory today following the passage of a citywide paid sick days bill, which will ensure access to the 40% of private-sector workers, including 77% of service workers, who previously had no paid sick days.
“Today’s passage of paid sick days for Pittsburgh is a huge victory that will bolster the health and economic well-being of families and communities throughout the city,” said Ellen Bravo, executive director ofFamily Values @ Work, a network of coalitions in 21 states across the country fighting for paid sick days and paid family leave. “We congratulate the hardworking activists whose persistence and leadership means Pittsburgh workers won’t have to choose between following doctor’s orders and putting food on the table. Pittsburgh now joins 20 other cities and four states across the country in taking this landmark step to provide working families with the much-needed relief they deserve.”
Pittsburgh’s passage of paid sick days marks a second victory for Pennsylvania, which passed and successfully implemented, a citywide paid sick days law in Philadelphia earlier this year.
“Passing paid sick days is a big win for working families and our members in Pittsburgh,” said Jenn Jannon, National Mobilization Director at Working America, AFL-CIO. “It will boost the quality of life in our city and strengthen public health. We’re proud to have worked with a diverse coalition of unions and community groups to improve conditions on-the-job for thousands of working people.”
Specifically, the Pittsburgh paid sick days bill will:
- Guarantee that workers in companies of 15 or more can earn up to five paid sick days per year
- Guarantee that workers in companies of fewer than 15 employees have access to three paid sick days per year
- Allow paid sick days to be used for personal illness or to care for a sick family member, including a spouse, child, parent, domestic partner, grandparent, or sibling
The bill passed with majority support from the City Council with seven votes in favor to one vote against and one abstention. Mayor Bill Peduto is expected to sign it.
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Family Values @ Work is a network of coalitions in 21 states working to pass policies that value families at work such as paid sick days and paid family leave.
