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Massachusetts Moving on Paid Sick Leave Legislation |
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In recent weeks, we’ve all heard the advice to stay home from work if symptoms show up that could indicate an H1N1 (swine flu) infection. But as the National Partnership for Women and Families (NPWF) long has pointed out, nearly 50 percent of private-sector workers have no paid sick leave. And 76 percent of low-income workers lose a day or more of pay if they stay home sick.
Tomorrow in Boston, the Massachusetts Paid Leave Coalition will make that point and urge lawmakers to make the Bay State the first to require employers to provide paid sick leave for workers.
The coalition, which includes the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, affiliated unions, community and other groups, will gather in the State House in the 4th floor cafeteria and distribute surgical masks and flu “prescriptions” urging passage of legislation (S.B. 688 and H.B. 1815) allowing workers to earn up to seven paid sick leave days a year.
According to the coalition:
Workers who come in contact with the public the most are those least likely to have paid sick days. Almost 80 percent of wait staff and child-care workers cannot earn paid sick days. Without paid sick days, workers and their families have to choose between risking the spread of the flu or staying home and risking the loss of pay or loss of their job.
For more on the legislation from the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, click here .
Currently, there is no state or federal law guaranteeing workers paid sick leave.
But Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) plan to reintroduce the Healthy Families Act in Congress later this month. The bill would guarantee workers up to seven paid sick days a year to recover from an illness or to care for a sick family member.
At the state level, paid sick leave campaigns are under way in more than a dozen states (click here for more info). Three cities—Milwaukee, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.—have paid sick leave laws. For more information and to join an “Online Rally” for paid sick leave, go here.
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Paid Sick leave
I asked my boss for a day off, because my child was sick.
I said make it a sick day, vacation, or you can pick.
She said hire a nurse or get some one else to stay!
Come to work right now or you will get no pay!
I weighed the choice she gave me, it was oh so very clear,
My darling baby daughter needed her mother to be near.
So I stayed home after we went to see the Doc.
Loosing one days pay would only put me in hock.
To my surprise, on my return she was now going to write me up!
I was now to be on attendance control and better not screw up.
The next absence, a suspension and a couple of days without pay;
For taking care of my baby daughter this is just not fair I say.
Not any paid time off for the family that they cannot take away.
No vacation, Paid time off or any time; it is just not right I say.
No, No, says the Boss our sick leave is only just for you.
We won’t pay you and you can’t use your vacation too.
You better be here every day; we have work for you to do,
Or with our attendance control we’ll just get rid of you.
The ideal employee is one who is Single By Choice.
Company employees should sing in one single voice.
.
We did not hire your Family, not mom, dad, husband or wife.
No Family commitments! Now that’s for all your working life.
If you get sick or have a family don’t bother to apply.
You must be here each and every day until your fired or die!
Working families, we need to lobby congress and the legislatures too.
We need a law so are jobs are protected when our children gets the flu.
Don’t loose heart we fought back and we did win at the ballot box.
We got a new sick leave law in San Francisco, the city that rocks.
We won in San Francisco you can win in your city too.
We can win in the states; but it will take work to win there too.
In the House and in the Senate the bills have been put in..
Stick together and fight for our families and together we will win.
By David G. Hurlburt, CWA Local 9410 Steward
One Sick Kin Away From Being Fired
It is hard for a family to make both ends meet,
Both of us working so we are not on the street.
Minimum wage workers need every single dime;
They also need some emergency kin care time.
We work hard, and at night and we’re so tired,
Just one sick child away from being fired.
Why can’t we use sick leave to care for our kin,
When the Bosses fires us for that is a just a sin.
Not any time off, with pay, for short time family care;
When the roll is called up yonder will these managers be there?
We work hard and at night and we’re so tired.
Just one sick spouse away from being fired.
Companies protect and defend at all costs their mighty corporate right;s
So when you take time off for your family, be prepared to join the fights.
Working families, we need to lobby congress and the legislatures too.
We need a law so are jobs are protected when our child gets the flu..
We work hard and at night and we’re so tired,
Just one sick parent away from being fired.
Providing time for families doesn’t cost it will pay.
It reduces turnover because more employees stay.
It, increases loyalty, dedication and it is caring and kind.
A benefit employees value and it’s one that’s hard to find.
We work hard and at night and we’re so tired.
Just one sick self away from being fired.
Too many times we’re fired and end up in the street.
Loss of jobs or pay and our bills we can’t meet.
Bankruptcy from medical bills or the loss of a job,
We loose heart and hope and our kids learn to rob
You can pay to build families or tear them apart.
The dollars spent on sick leave are just a start;
Childcare, after school programs to care for our kids
And medical care for every one even those on the skids.
If you don’t do these things you will still pay the price.
In court costs and prisons and that is not very nice.
A nations economy must serve all the people in the land;
Not greed or the wealthy, government must take a stand.
The social safety net is not just for the poor,
It protects us all from the thief at our door.
By David G. Hurlburt CWA local 9410