Cross-posted at the WFP's Party Line Blog
The Working Families Party, policy advocates, small business owners, and elected officials announced today on the steps of City Hall the introduction of a groundbreaking bill that would give every working New Yorker the right to paid sick days.
With 35 co-sponsors in the Council, the bill was hailed by public health experts as a badly-needed, commonsense measure. “When people have to go to work sick, it isn’t healthy for anyone,” said Lois Uttley, chair of the policy and legislative committee of the Public Health Association of New York City. “When one million New Yorkers don’t have paid sick days, it’s a public health crisis waiting to happen.”
Councilmember Gale Brewer, the bill’s lead sponsor and long-time champion, summed it up: “No one should have to lose their pay or risk losing their job because they are ill, or their child is sick.”
According to the “Unheard Third” - an annual survey conducted by the Community Service Society - over one million New Yorkers currently have no paid so sick days at all where they work, including two-thirds of low-wage workers. Worse, many of those without paid sick days work where disease is most likely to spread. A survey conducted by the Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York showed that 84% of restaurant workers have no paid sick days - and more than half report going to work sick.
The bill would allow employees to earn up to 9 paid sick days a year. Employees in small businesses could earn up to 5 days. The bill would allow workers to use paid sick days to take care of themselves or a family member, or to get help if they’re a victim of domestic violence.
Small business owners were also on hand to support the bill, calling paid sick days good for a business’ bottom line: “Healthy workers make productive workers, and my business will be much stronger if my employees are able to take the time they need,” said Marco Reinoso, owner of Superstar Deli in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The USA Latin Chamber of Commerce, the New York Small Business Congress, and Korean-American Small Business Service Center have also endorsed the bill.
Also on hand today were Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Councilmembers Dan Garodnick, Alan Gerson, and David Weprin. The broad coalition backing the paid sick days bill includes the New York State Paid Family Leave Coalition, A Better Balance: The Work and Family Legal Center, the Working Families Party, SEIU 32 BJ, the Community Service Society, Make the Road NY, RWDSU, Workers United, the Restaurant Opportunities Center of NY, and UFCW 1500.