Final Vote Due Today on DC Paid Sick Leave

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
With a final vote on paid sick leave set for today, supporters launched last-minute lobby and educational campaigns Monday to urge DC City Councilmembers to give final approval to the measure. The effort to provide paid sick leave for District residents has drawn national attention and is being closely followed in other cities and states where it's now under consideration. At the Wilson Building Monday, hundreds of signed petition postcards from DC workers and residents were delivered to DC Councilmembers. Under heavy lobbying pressure from the DC Chamber of Commerce and the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, some Councilmembers who supported the legislation have tried to introduce amendments that would exempt ten of thousands of workers, reports Mackenzie Baris of DC Jobs with Justice. Thousands of residents throughout the city also received postcards over the weekend and Monday letting them know where their Councilmembers stand on the bill, reinforcing ads demanding passage of the bill in Thursday's City Paper and Monday's Express. The citizen blitz drew the attention of the Washington Business Journal. Supporters – dressed in blue and purple T-shirts – will also pack the Wilson Building today for the vote.