Philadelphia Paid Sick Leave Bill Vetoed

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter (D) last night vetoed a paid sick leave bill passed by the City Council that would have made Philadelphia the third city in the nation guaranteeing workers paid sick leave. Says AFL-CIO  Secretary-Treasurers Liz Shuler:

It’s a shame the mayor ignored what the majority of Philadelphians say is the right thing to do for working families. When workers in the city get sick, they are still faced with the awful choice of their health or their paycheck. The mayor could have changed that.

Says Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO President Patrick J. Eiding:

The ability to take a day off when you or your family member is sick is a public health issue as well as a worker rights issue. We’re disappointed in the mayor’s veto and will continue to fight for paid sick days and all legislation that helps workers.

In a statement the Labor Project for Working Families says:

Across the country, momentum continues to build for paid sick days because it is
a proven step to improve the health of the workforce and the strength of the
economy. The measure is supported by a majority of the Philadelphia City
Council and by a majority of Philadelphia voters of both political parties. We
will do whatever we can to support the coalition to continue their fight until
paid sick days is implemented.

There are paid sick leave efforts underway in several cities and states including Denver, New York City, Massachusetts  and Georgia.
New research on paid sick day laws in other cities shows significant benefits for workers and minimal impact on businesses. A recent study of San Francisco’s paid sick days law shows business concerns about job loss were unfounded, with six in seven employers saying paid sick days have had no negative effect on profitability and two-thirds of employers surveyed supporting the law. Other studies have shown that employees are healthier and more productive when they have access to paid sick days. Washington D.C. is the other city with a paid sick leave law.
Nationwide, more than 44 million private-sector workers in the United States—­42 percent of the private-sector workforce­—don’t have paid sick days they can use to recover from a common illness like the flu.
Recent surveys show three-quarters of Americans say paid sick leave should be a “basic workers’ right” and Congress should pass legislation that guarantees it.
Just this morning the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) released a new briefing paper on how a federal paid sick leave policy would promote workers’ financial stability and the economic security of their families.  Click here for the report.