As families across the country enjoy unusually warm weather and prepare for the summer, paid sick days campaigns are heating up too.
In Massachusetts, advocates are rallying on Tuesday to re-launch the state’s paid sick days campaign. The rally follows a victory last week when the bill passed out of the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, where it was amended to address small business owners’ concerns. Committee Chair Senator Daniel Wolf, a business owner himself, has championed the bill, saying “I will tell you as a business person, the financial impact of [paid sick days] is minimal when compared to the benefits. It has strengthened [my] company. It’s great for morale.’’ The bill now goes to the Joint Committee on Healthcare Financing. For more information or to get involved, check out the Massachusetts Paid Leave Coalition.
The paid sick days effort in New York City is also getting significant business support. Last week, a group of local small business owners joined with city council members, local residents and organizations in the New York City Paid Sick Leave Coalition to launch “Conscious Consumer, Conscious Business,” an initiative to support and highlight local businesses that value working families and the public’s health by providing paid sick days. The initiative kicked off on Tuesday with a rally at a music hall in Queens. This is an exciting new development, one that will reinforce the benefits of paid sick days to businesses in New York and throughout the country. Stay tuned!
And in Philadelphia, the campaign for a citywide paid sick days ordinance is gathering support inside and outside the City Council. A new bill will be introduced soon by Council Member William Greenlee and the campaign is expected to officially re-launch. Check out the Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces to find out more.
We’ll keep you posted as these campaigns progress!
