WHAT'S NEXT

Seattle City Council: Don’t let big business water down paid sick days
  1. Signatures
    408 out of 1,000
    Petitioning
    1. Councilmember Bruce Harrell (+ 8 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • Councilmember Bruce Harrell (The Seattle City Council)
      • Councilmember Mike O'Brien (The Seattle City Council)
      • Councilmember Jean Godden (The Seattle City Council)
      • Councilmember Richard Conlin (The Seattle City Council)
      • Councilmember Tom Rasmussen (The Seattle City Council)
      • Councilmember Sally Bagshaw (The Seattle City Council)
      • Councilmember Tim Burgess (The Seattle City Council)
      • Councilmember Sally Clark (The Seattle City Council)
      • Councilmember Nick Licata (The Seattle City Council)
  2. Created By
    Economic Opportunity Institute
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates
How We Won

Sep 12, 2011

With an 8-1 vote on September 12, the Seattle City Council passed a landmark ordinance to ensure workers in all but the city’s smallest businesses can earn paid sick days on the job – one of the strongest such policies in the nation. The Seattle Coalition for a Healthy Workforce, comprised of over 100 local organizations and small businesses that pushed for the measure, lauded the vote.

“We’re proud of the City Council’s vote, and we applaud Council members Nick Licata and Tim Burgess in particular for their leadership in helping pass a strong ordinance that will protect workers, safeguard public health, and support healthy businesses,” the coalition announced. Read more here.

On August 10th, the Health Committee of the Seattle City Council voted unanimously to pass the Paid Sick Days ordinance out of committee and on to the full Council. Voting ‘yes’ were Council members Sally Clark, Jean Godden, Nick Licata and Mike O’Brien.

But we can’t celebrate just yet. Big business lobbyists are putting pressure on the Council to water down the ordinance with special exemptions and corporate giveaways.

Watering down this ordinance so that fewer working people have paid sick days or there are barriers to using them is simply unacceptable.

Sign this petition to thank the Council members who already voted ‘yes’ on a strong bill – and send an email to the full Council telling them to stand up for working people by passing the Health committee’s paid sick days proposal.

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Don't let big business water down paid sick days

Greetings

I'm writing to thank Council members Clark, Godden, Licata and O’Brien for unanimously passing the Health Committee’s paid sick days proposal August 10th.

I would also like to urge every City Councilmember to do the right thing on September 12th by passing the paid sick days ordinance – without watering it down.

Families are counting on you to pass this common sense ordinance. Without it, 190,000 working people in the city of Seattle will continue to face the difficult choice of going to work sick, or losing a day’s pay – or even their job.

Paid sick days promote healthier families, communities, schools and businesses by preventing the spread of disease and boosting productivity and morale.

Please show your support for Seattle’s working people and families by voting yes for the paid sick days ordinance – without watering it down.

[Your name]

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