“Members of the Jersey City Council demonstrated their strong commitment to their city and its residents tonight by voting overwhelmingly to approve a measure that will guarantee workers the right to earn sick days. With Mayor Fulop already a champion of the proposal, the city is poised to be the sixth in the nation to guarantee workers this fundamental and common sense right. This is terrific news for Jersey City, the state of New Jersey and the country.

The ordinance passed tonight will guarantee that Jersey City workers in businesses with 10 or more employees have the right to earn paid sick days, and workers in smaller businesses have the right to earn unpaid sick days. It will make a tremendous difference for the more than 30,000 people in the city who currently cannot earn a single paid or unpaid sick day, and who are forced to choose between staying home and the loss of the job or the paycheck they need as a result.

This victory adds to the growing momentum around paid sick days policies in New Jersey, in other cities and states, and at the federal level. Paid sick days campaigns are active from Tacoma, Washington, to our nation’s capital, and support continues to grow. San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Portland, Ore., New York City and the state of Connecticut have paid sick days laws. And as a result, the body of evidence that demonstrates the benefits of paid sick days for working families, businesses, the public’s health and local economies continues to grow.

We commend every member of the Jersey City Council who voted for this bill tonight, as well as Mayor Fulop for being such a strong advocate for it. When he signs this bill, he will secure Jersey City’s position as a leader for working families – and pave the way for the state standard more than one million New Jerseyites urgently need.”