“By signing the nation’s first statewide paid sick days standard into law on Friday, Governor Dannel Malloy put workers and families first and said ‘yes’ to a modest, common-sense measure that is good for the state, its workers, its businesses and its economy.

Because of Connecticut’s new law, soon hundreds of thousands of workers in the state will no longer have to make impossible choices between their health and their economic security when illness strikes. With Connecticut blazing a trail, America is closer to becoming a family friendly nation.

When Connecticut’s paid sick days law is demonstrated successful for both workers and businesses, like the laws elsewhere, the business lobby’s aggressive, knee-jerk opposition will be discounted as the empty scare tactic it is — and many more workers around the nation will join those in Connecticut, San Francisco and the District of Columbia in being able to earn paid sick days.

We thank Governor Malloy, who demonstrated strong, unwavering support, tireless leaders like State Senator Edith Prague, and the extraordinary work of the Connecticut Working Families Organization, the Everybody Benefits coalition and other allies.

More than 40 million workers in this country are without a single paid sick day. It’s time for lawmakers in every state, and at the federal to level, to ensure that all workers have this basic right.”