by Mike Hall, Jun 5, 2007

Last November, San Francisco voters overwhelmingly approved a measure making the city the first in the nation to require employers to provide paid sick leave for workers. Today, that new law took effect.

At a press conference today, the Coalition for Paid Sick Days kicked off a campaign to educate workers and employers about the new law. Says Naomi Nakamura, from the coalition member group Young Workers United:

We look forward to educating workers about this ground-breaking law so they can take the time to care for themselves or their families when sick. The entire nation is watching San Francisco as we take the lead on this issue of critical importance to working people. 

The measure requires employers to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked by any employee, whether they be full time, part time or temporary. Businesses with 10 or fewer employees are required to offer five days per year per worker, while larger employers must provide nine days per year. The time can be used to care for a sick child, partner or other loved one.

According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, nearly half of private-sector workers have no paid sick days and low-income workers are in worse straights—76 percent have no paid sick leave.

As San Francisco has taken the lead in paid sick leave laws—along with becoming the first city to establish a health care plan for all that covers some 80,000 uninsured who work in the city—working families across the nation are mobilizing at the state and federal levels for paid sick leave and family leave.

Earlier this year, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced the Healthy Families Act (S. 910 and H.R. 1542) that would require employers with 15 or more employees to provide workers seven paid sick leave days a year to take care of themselves or a family member.

On the family leave front, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) signed a bill May 12 that gives Washington workers paid time off to care for a newborn or a just adopted child.

However, at the urging of some Big Business groups, the Bush administration has set its sights on possible revisions to federal rules under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) that would make it more difficult for workers to access its modest rights—up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for workers in firms of 50 or more.

The Department of Labor solicited comments on revising the act late last year and early this year and is now considering the recommendations.

While, the AFL-CIO, Working America and other family advocates urged that the FMLA be strengthened, not rolled back, business groups lobbied hard for new restrictions.

Says Kennedy of the new San Francisco law:

The passage of this historic legislation is a watershed moment for working families. This bold victory leads the way for a new national paid sick days movement that will build strong families, protect our children and safeguard our public health.

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