Paid Sick & Family Leave Catching

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
Paid sick and family leave seems to be contagious. New Jersey may soon be the third state – following California and Washington state – to guarantee workers paid time off to take care of an ill family member or newborn child. The New Jersey Senate bill passed 22-16 and the Assembly is expected to weigh the bill in coming weeks. If it makes it to his desk, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine has vowed to sign the bill into law. Over 4 million workers who qualify for the leave would be paid two-thirds of their salary. On Tuesday, the DC City Council passed the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave bill (DC Council Okays "Fatally Wounded" Sick Leave Bill 3/5/08 UC). The DC bill follows the passage of a similar bill by the San Francisco City Council in 2006. California, Ohio, and Maine are also considering paid sick leave legislation (Support for Paid Sick Leave Grows Across US 2/28/08 UC). On the national level, the US Senate has introduced a paid family leave bill as well as legislation – along with the US House – calling for paid sick days for workers. - includes reporting from Jesse Russell, Workers Independent News