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News release

Disney Turns Moms Away at Magic Kingdom, Rejects Plea to Stop Blocking Earned Sick Days

April 26, 2013
Paid Sick Days

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

MomsRising.org, an organization of more than 1 million mothers in the United States is urging their members to contact Walt Disney World in Orlando asking them to stop working to block earned sick time initiatives in Florida. In less than 24 hours alone, more than 6,000 people signed the letter to Disney urging the company to support healthy workers and local control, and signatures are still coming in.
 
Representatives for MomsRising.org attempted to deliver the letter, signed by more than 6,000 people demanding Disney stop working to block earned sick time initiatives in Florida to the Disney Team Resources building yesterday. A spokesperson for Walt Disney World informed the moms that they would not be allowed to deliver their letter and asked that they leave the premises.
 
The Orlando Sentinel reported this week that Disney had joined with the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Darden Restaurants – the corporate parent of the Red Lobster and Olive Garden chains -- to craft bills being voted on in Tallahassee that would block adoption of local wage and benefit measures, including earned sick time. The Florida Legislature is expected to vote on these bills in April. 
 
“There is absolutely nothing magical about getting fired or losing a day’s pay because you got sick. So, it’s no surprise that momentum for earned sick time is growing,” said Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director of MomsRising.org. “Parents understand how important access to earned sick time is and that’s why we want Disney to stop working to block earned sick time initiatives in Florida.”
 

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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.