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This morning, surrounded by workers, advocates and small business owners, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop signed the nation’s seventh paid sick days law, securing the city’s position as a leader for working families and ensuring that, soon, more than 30,000 people will no longer have to worry about losing their jobs when they get the flu, a child has strep throat or other health needs arise.

When the law takes effect next year, Jersey City workers at businesses with 10 or more employees will have the right to earn paid sick days, and workers at smaller businesses will have the right to earn unpaid but job protected sick days. This law is a tremendous victory for Jersey City, its families and communities — and it brings us one step closer to the day when all workers have this basic right.

Jersey City now joins San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Portland, Ore., New York City and the state of Connecticut in establishing a paid sick days standard. As momentum around this common sense policy continues, we look forward to the passage of more paid sick days laws in New Jersey and across the country. They will pave the way for the federal standard the nation has long needed.