Via Seattle Coalition for a Healthy Workforce(opens in new tab):
Following a 3 a.m. vote in the early hours of Saturday morning, state legislators in Connecticut approved the first statewide paid sick days legislation in the United States.
The bill, which now awaits approval by Governor Daniel Malloy, will ensure hundreds of thousands of service workers in Connecticut can take time away from work without penalty when they or their children are sick. Malloy, who won election in 2010, distinguished(opens in new tab) himself from his opponent in part by supporting paid sick leave standards as a right for all workers.
With its passage, Connecticut joins San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Milwaukee in establishing minimum standards of paid sick days – and shows strong momentum is building around the nation for paid sick days, including:
- In Philadelphia, a paid sick days bill before the City Council could be voted on as early as sometime this week(opens in new tab);
- In Seattle, a broad coalition has developed a proposal (opens in new tab)that could be passed before the next flu season;
- In Denver, supporters have filed a paid sick days initiative(opens in new tab) for the November ballot;
- The New York City Council has a veto-proof majority in favor of a paid sick days bill, but Council Speaker Quinn has thus far refused to bring the bill to a vote(opens in new tab);
- Nationally, the Healthy Families Act was reintroduced to the House(opens in new tab) and Senate(opens in new tab), which would allow American workers to earn paid sick days at their place of work.
Learn more(opens in new tab) about paid sick days for Seattle, and tell the Seattle City Council you support paid sick days(opens in new tab)!