Yesterday, Rosa DeLauro and Ted Kennedy announced that they plan to introduce a bill to require every business with 15 or more workers to guarantee seven paid sick days per year.
The legislation’s preamble notes that nearly half of private-sector workers and three-fourths of low-wage workers do not receive paid sick days. Far too often, advocates say, such employees feel compelled to go to work even when ill, because they fear being fired or at the least losing the day’s pay.
DeLauro's introduced this bill in the past two Congresses, but it hasn't gotten out of committee. Not even in 2007 (even though it had 106 cosponsors)--presumably because it couldn't get enough support to overcome a Bush veto.
However, it looks like it could go somewhere this time around. Obama pushed this heavily during the campaign, and Michelle's recently been talking it up to business leaders.
DeLauro and other supporters say this bill is needed in light of the swine flu epidemic. Also, she mentioned a story about the choices some mothers of troops in Iraq have to face.
Ms. DeLauro recalled that at a meeting with wives of men serving in Iraq, one of them complained that her employer had threatened to fire her because she took two days off when her child was ill.
"Her husband is fighting in Iraq," Ms. DeLauro said, "but she may lose her job because there aren’t two parents home to deal with the problem of sick kids."
Unbelievable. No mother should have to make that choice--especially when she's a military wife.
Predictably, Republicans and business groups have lined up against it. Boehner issued a statement railing against "one-size-fits-all government mandates." Um, John? What about No Child Left Behind?