Economic Justice
Momentum in Minnesota: 68,300 Workers in St. Paul Will Gain Paid Sick Days

Momentum in Minnesota: 68,300 Workers in St. Paul Will Gain Paid Sick Days

The St. Paul City Council unanimously approved a paid sick days ordinance on September 7. When fully implemented, the law will guarantee approximately 68,300 additional private sector workers in the city the right to earn paid sick time. This is the second paid sick days win in Minnesota this year, following Minneapolis’s victory in May. Advocates now have their sights set on making Duluth next.  

A Double Bind Punishes Low-Income Families as Lawmakers Deny Women Abortion Coverage and Fail to Support Parenting

Eight Labor Days

Today is the eighth and final Labor Day the country will celebrate with Barack Obama as its president. It’s well worth taking a moment to appreciate his deep and enduring commitment to equal opportunity for women in the workplace.

A Double Bind Punishes Low-Income Families as Lawmakers Deny Women Abortion Coverage and Fail to Support Parenting

Failing Our Families

In the United States today, whether you can take a few paid sick days or a few weeks of paid family or medical leave, and whether your employer must make reasonable accommodations that allow you to continue working through your pregnancy, all depend on where you work.

Momentum in Minnesota: 68,300 Workers in St. Paul Will Gain Paid Sick Days

Paid Sick Days Advocates Help Bring Paid Sick Days Access to All-Time High

New data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal that the tireless work of paid sick days advocates and thoughtful lawmakers across the country is making a real difference. Sixty-four percent of private sector workers can now earn paid sick time, compared to 61 percent in 2015. That is the highest share on record – and it means millions more workers have gained access to paid sick days.

Momentum in Minnesota: 68,300 Workers in St. Paul Will Gain Paid Sick Days

Paid Sick Days Victory in the Third Largest City in the Nation

Chicago took a major step toward becoming the 34th jurisdiction in the country with a paid sick days law today, following unanimous approval by the city council. Mayor Rahm Emmanuel has pledged to sign the ordinance. When it takes effect on July 1, 2017, more than 460,000 workers will newly gain the right to earn paid sick time. And the nation’s three most populous cities will guarantee this common sense protection. 

A Double Bind Punishes Low-Income Families as Lawmakers Deny Women Abortion Coverage and Fail to Support Parenting

Something is Wrong With Wages in America

The annual recognition of Equal Pay Day  —  the day that marks how far into the year women have had to work to catch up with what men were paid in the previous year — is always a stunning reminder of just how far we still have to go to reach true equality for women in this country.

We Cannot Remain a Nation of Paid Leave Haves and Have-Nots

Promising Paid Sick Time News for Nearly 830,000 More Workers

Right on schedule, the U.S. Department of Labor today proposed a rule that will ultimately give 828,000 workers who service federal contracts expanded access to paid sick time, including nearly 437,000 workers who are currently not guaranteed a single paid sick day. This is a much-needed and encouraging step toward implementing the executive order President Obama issued on Labor Day. 

After Yearslong Battle, Victory in Vermont!

Today, by a vote of 81 to 64, the Vermont House of Representatives reaffirmed its support for a statewide paid sick days bill and sent the proposal to the governor, who supports it. The hard-fought victory means Vermont will soon be the fifth state in the nation to guarantee paid sick days.