Assembly Passes First in Nation Bill to Provide Paid Sick Days to Working Californians

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Assemblywoman Fiona Ma lauds vote as “victory for public health and sound public policy”

By Frank D. Russo

As a nationwide conference convened in New York City to discuss the need for paid sick leave and heard from San Franciscan’s about the city’s groundbreaking ordinance in this area, the California Assembly passed legislation that would make ours the first state in the nation to ensure paid sick days for all workers. Around the world 136 nations—with the notable exception of the United States--guarantee at least a week of paid sick leave.

AB 2716 (Ma), the Healthy Families, Healthy Workplaces Act, passed the Assembly yesterday in a 12 hour marathon session on a party line vote of 45 to 33, with Democratic Assemblymember Juan Arambula the only Democrat to join all Republicans in the chamber in voting against it.

AB 2716 allows workers to earn paid sick days that can be used to recover from illness, care for a sick family member, or recover from domestic violence or sexual assault. The bill moves to the Senate, where its author, Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, has indicated it will be heard in June. It should pass our Democratic state Senate.

“Simply put, workers should not live in fear of being fired when they take a day off when they or their children are sick,” said Assemblywoman Ma. She hailed the vote as “a victory for public health and sound public policy.”

AB 2716 is co-sponsored by the California Labor Federation and California ACORN, and is supported by a statewide coalition of over 50 organizations including local governments, health professionals and civil rights organizations. Nearly six million working Californians, or about 40% of the workforce, currently receive zero paid sick days through their employers.

“Going to work sick creates unhealthy workplaces and puts co-workers and customers at risk – but many workers have no choice,” said Ma. “AB 2716 is long overdue and will eliminate the difficult choice that many workers face every time they get sick.”

A recently released study conducted by Dr. Vicky Lovell of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research Institute concluded that AB 2716 will save California nearly $1 billion annually. These cost savings are primarily due to reduced turnover and the spread of illness in the workplace.