“Today, on the heels of New Jersey’s first sick days law taking effect in Jersey City last Friday, the Newark City Council voted to establish a paid sick days standard for the state’s largest city. This is great news for the 38,000 people in Newark who cannot earn paid sick days. We urge Mayor Quintana to make signing the ordinance a priority, to further pave the way for a statewide standard the million New Jerseyans who still cannot earn paid sick days need.

The progress in Newark adds to the great momentum around paid sick days that workers and advocates around the country generated last year and already in 2014. Newark would be the eighth jurisdiction in the nation to guarantee workers this basic right.*

Newark’s ordinance is comprehensive, ensuring that workers in the city can earn the time they need to care for their health and their families without sacrificing their economic security. People who work in businesses with 10 or more employees and those who work in food service, child care and direct care would be able to earn up to five paid sick days a year. People who work in smaller businesses would be able to earn up to three paid sick days a year.

We commend members of the Newark City Council for passing this common sense measure, and the strong coalition of workers, businesses and advocates that has come together to support it. We urge the mayor to recognize the positive impact a paid sick days standard would have on Newark’s working families, businesses, public health and local economy by making signing the bill a top priority.”

* Paid sick days laws are already in place in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Portland, Ore., New York City, Jersey City and the state of Connecticut.