“Mayor Nutter’s decision to stand with corporate lobbyists and veto the new paid sick days ordinance is short-sighted — and most likely will be short-lived. More than one hundred organizations that make up the Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces are determined to continue the fight for this modest reform until it becomes a law,” said Ellen Bravo, Executive Director of Family Values @ Work, the national consortium of state organizations working for paid sick days and paid family leave policies.
Across the country, momentum continues to build for paid sick days because it is a proven step to improve the health of the workforce and the strength of the economy. The measure is supported by a majority of the Philadelphia City Council and by a majority of Philadelphia voters of both political parties. We will do whatever we can to support the coalition to continue their fight until paid sick days is implemented.
Survey after survey across the country has shown voters of both parties want this common sense reform. They recognize the high cost of not implementing paid sick days – in job loss, spread of disease, lower productivity, and harm to children, the elderly and people with disabilities.
It is no surprise that the win in Connecticut is being followed by a strong movement in Seattle, where a bill was recently introduced with support from Mayor Mike McGinn, city council leaders and local business owners. Denver activists are set to collect twice as many signatures as required for a ballot initiative to be voted on this fall. In New York City, 35 City Council members are sponsoring a paid sick days bill. The Massachusetts state legislature is holding a public hearing on a statewide bill this summer, and a bi-partisan group of state legislators in Georgia led by five Republicans is supporting a bill that would ensure workers could use sick time to care for their children and loved ones.
Our movement is growing and it can’t be stopped.
