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News release

U.S. Secretary of Labor to Join County Executive Isiah “Ike” Leggett as He Signs One of Strongest Paid Sick Laws in Country

July 1, 2015
Paid Family & Medical Leave, Paid Sick Days

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

County Councilmembers, State Officials, Impacted Workers, and Supporters, Hundreds of others will Join Celebration
Editor’s note: This event will feature a sizable crowd of paid sick leave supporters. Affected workers, legislators and policy experts will be available to speak with the media prior to and after the event.
 
What: Signing of “Earned Sick and Safe Leave” Act
When: Thursday, July 2 | 12:30 pm
Where: Silver Spring Civic Building, 1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910
 
Silver Spring, MD – This Thursday, County Executive Isiah “Ike”  Leggett will be joined by U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Tom Perez, Montgomery County Councilmembers, State Officials, and hundreds from community organizations, including partners in the Working Matters Coalition, at a bill signing that will allow Montgomery County workers to earn up to seven days of sick leave each year to care for themselves and their loved ones.
 
When signed, the law will include some of the strongest protections in the country including:
  • Montgomery County workers that work at companies of five or more employees will earn up to seven full days of paid sick leave per year.
  • Montgomery County workers that work at companies of four or less employees will be guaranteed four paid and three sick leave days per year.
  • Part-time workers who regularly work at least eight hours per week will be able to earn paid sick time.
  • Employees will be able to utilize the earned leave as “safe time” to obtain medical attention, victims services, counseling, relocation or legal services as a result of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, and assist sick family members including elderly parents and children.
  • Laid off employees will keep their previously accumulated time if they are rehired within nine months.
Thursday’s bill signing, originally scheduled to be held outside of Rockville, was shifted to Silver Spring, home to some of the County’s most vibrant economic activity, in recognition of the popularity of the measure and the major impact it will have on retail workers.
 
Strengthened by the local victory, advocates and elected officials will describe the statewide push to ensure that benefits similar to those provided by the Montgomery County legislation will be extended to all workers in Maryland.
 
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Backed by Working Matters, a coalition of 140 organizations working to advance the Maryland Campaign for Paid Sick Days, the measure is supported by a broad group of local organizations including 32BJ SEIU, Advocates for Children and Youth, CASA, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jews United for Justice, Job Opportunities Task Force, LiUNA! Mid-Atlantic, Maryland Working Families, the Metro Washington Council AFL-CIO, MomsRising, the Montgomery County Education Association, National Nurses United, Progressive Maryland, Public Justice Center, SEIU Local 500, UFWC Local 1994 MCGEO, and UFCW Local 400.  
 

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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.