Amy Traub

A Win for Paid Sick Days

Okay, so it's not the biggest news out of this election. But when working people in the city of Milwaukee get sick, they're no longer going to face that awful decision about whether to go to work contagious and feeling rotten or risk missing a paycheck and maybe being short on the rent. That's right: on Tuesday, Brew City residents voted 68% to make Milwaukee the third city in the country to mandate that all employees get paid sick days. The tremendous margin of victory suggests that this is an issue that really resonates with people.

But the city still faces some obstacles. Business groups plan to sue to prevent implementation. City officials say they're not sure how to enforce the new law.

I suggest everyone take a look at San Francisco, where paid sick days have been the law of the land for two years, without provoking major business failures or government snafus. Watch Sara Flocks, the activist who helped lead the fight for the nation's first paid sick days law, which left San Francisco with a healthier, happier, and more productive workforce. And learn more about the policy discussion on this liveblog of our Marketplace of Ideas event on paid sick leave.

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Posted at 3:15 PM, Nov 06, 2008 in Election 2008 | Employment | Health Care | Progressive Agenda
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