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Statement

Statement of Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director, On the Seattle City Council’s Passage Of the Paid Sick Days Ordinance

September 12, 2011
Paid Sick Days

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Today, the Seattle City Council voted to support workers across the city and safeguard our public health. By passing the paid sick days ordinance, City Councilmembers took a stand for the nearly 200,000 Seattle workers who currently can’t take even a single paid sick day and their families. 
 
MomsRising is proud to have been an integral part of the effort to pass the paid sick days ordinance, along with the more than 75 organizations that comprise the Seattle Coalition for a Healthy Workforce, whose leadership includes Economic Opportunity Institute Puget Sound Sage, UFCW 21, Legal Voice, Washington CAN, Puget Sound Association for Retired Americans, MLK Labor Council, and the Washington State Labor Council. 
 
MomsRising members spoke directly to the City Council about how important paid sick days are to family economic security and health, delivering books of stories about the importance of this policy and sending nearly 4,500 letters to City Councilmembers.
 
In letters, stories and through testimony and speaking at meetings, MomsRising let the City Council know that when people have paid sick leave, they can stay home if they’re ill and avoid spreading illness to their co-workers, and in some cases, to clients, customers and other members of the public. When parents have paid sick leave, they don’t have to send their children to school sick where they can infect other kids and teachers, or leave them at home where they’re unsupervised. 
 
We all get sick. And when we’re worried about our kids’ health or our own health, we shouldn’t also have to worry about whether we can pay the rent or utility bills or if we’ll still have a job when we get better.
 
The majority of Democrats and Republicans support paid sick days, as do many savvy business owners. They know that not only do paid sick days policies keep their workers healthier and improve public health, they also increase worker loyalty and decrease the cost of having to hire and train new workers, as well as the costs associated with people spreading illnesses.
 
We are proud to have worked with local businesses who recognize that paid sick days don’t just keep employees healthy, they keep businesses healthy. They included Plum Bistro, Cupcake Royale, Tutta Bella, 5 Point Cafe, and more.
 
We urge Mayor McGinn to sign the paid sick days ordinance as soon as possible.
 

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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.