Paid Sick Leave Supporters Mobilize for Vote Tomorrow

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
A sea of purple and blue-clad supporters of paid sick leave will pack the seats of the 5th floor DC Council Room Tuesday to press Councilmembers to approve the Accrued Sick and Safe Days bill. The bill – which receives its final vote Tuesday – has faced intense last-ditch opposition from the Chamber of Commerce and threats of amendments to weaken the bill by some Councilmembers. "We're going down to the wire on this one," said Karen Minatelli of the DC Employment Justice Center. "We need to keep up the pressure on the Council to vote this bill forward on Tuesday with no more delays and no more exemptions." "We're planning a high-energy action to make sure our voices are heard," said Ruth Castel-Branco of DC Jobs with Justice, who's helping organize a street theater performance for the vote. The bill would give DC workers paid time off to take care of their own health, the health of family members, or to address domestic violence situations. If passed, it would only be the second of its kind in the country. On Friday, the National Partnership for Women and Families launched a national online rally to support the Healthy Families Act – federal legislation that would guarantee all US workers seven paid sick days a year – reports Doug Cunningham of Workers Independent News. “Fifty-seven million American workers have no paid sick days,” Cunningham reports.