One of the first questions I asked when I hit the ground here in Denver was “Where are we going to eat?” I knew that 74 percent of Denver restaurant workers don’t have a single paid sick day — meaning many restaurants had the potential to make me sick. How was I going to get my Mexican food fix without knowing which restaurants offer paid sick days?
As it turns out, there are plenty of local restaurants here in Denver that offer and support paid sick days. I learned that forward-thinking restaurants like Parsley, which has delectable sandwiches, understand that when employees are healthy, businesses profit.
Opponents of Initiative 300 would have you believe that every restaurant in Denver opposes paid sick days, but don’t let them fool you! That is simply not true. Initiative 300 has the support of more than 40 businesses throughout the city.
It’s not just these businesses that support the proposal. The Campaign for a Healthy Denver is a coalition of more than 150 hardworking community organizations, labor groups, faith leaders and organizations, and public health groups that recognize that a paid sick days standard will support a healthier community, a more productive workforce and a stronger economy.
So for now, I am eating well in Denver. There may be more traditional campaign food in my future though. Bring on the coffee, pizza and Swedish fish!
