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Statement

STATEMENT OF KRISTIN ROWE-FINKBEINER, Executive Director and CEO, MomsRising.org, on the Override of Mayor Bloomberg’s Veto of the Paid Sick Days Bill

June 27, 2013
Paid Sick Days

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

MomsRising.org Cheers City Council Vote to Override Mayoral Bloomberg’s Veto of New York City Paid Sick Days Bill
“It’s been a long fight, but today more than a million of New Yorkers are a step closer to being able to take earned sick days to recover from their own illness or to take care of a sick child or other family member. Mayor Bloomberg’s veto was a disappointment, but it was not a defeat. The New York City Council’s override of that veto will allow this important bill to become law in New York City.
 
“MomsRising.org worked with a broad coalition of organizations to get this far. Our members sent thousands of letters and made hundreds of phone calls to city councilmembers. They signed petitions, rallied at City Hall, and shared their stories to explain how important earned sick days are to moms and their families. They even hand-delivered messages addressed to Speaker Christine Quinn to convince her to let the vote go through.
 
“We did all this because as moms we know that access to earned paid sick days is not only vital to the economic security of countless families, but also makes good public health policy. When people go to work sick or send their children to school sick, they spread germs and other people get sick. What’s more, people who don’t have earned sick days are more likely to be in jobs where they are in regular contact with other people, with children, with older adults or with food. It’s not hard to see the negative consequences there.
 
“No worker should ever have to choose between losing a day’s pay and staying home to recuperate from illness or to care for a sick child. That’s not good for families, it’s not good for employees and it’s not good for business.
 
“This is why we strongly applaud the New York City Council for having the courage of their convictions to to pass the earned paid sick days bill into law. Last night’s vote is a victory for New York City workers and for the country as a whole.”
 

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.