What do you call it when state legislators refuse to provide paid sick days for average Ohio workers ---while asking those same workers to pay for the legislators’ sick days?
Ohioans for Healthy Families calls it “hypocrisy” ---with a “capitol” H.
On April 8, spokespersons for the 200-organization statewide coalition fighting to bring paid sick days to Ohio will lift the veil on the General Assembly’s own practices regarding paid sick days.
OHF communications director Dale Butland previewed the news conference this way:
“ 42% of Ohio’s private sector workforce ---some 2.2 million people ---don’t have a single paid sick day they can use to take care of themselves or their families when illness strikes. And despite the fact that 270,000 voters from all 88 Ohio counties signed petitions asking the General Assembly to enact it, the Ohio Healthy Families Act continues to collect dust nearly three months after going to the legislature.
“But thanks to a public records request, the legislative leadership’s hypocrisy is clear. The politicians themselves enjoy paid sick days ---and at taxpayer expense. In fact, they take paid days off for all kinds of reasons. It’s time Ohioans knew the truth about their elected representatives.”
Press coverage of our event:
Columbus Dispatch April 9th
Dayton Daily News April 8th
Toledo Blade April 8th
ONN April 8th
Posted by SickDaysOhio.org on April 8, 2008
Take care of your sick child... or get paid?
Help your ailing mother... or keep your job?
Stay home because you have the flu... or go to work sick?
These are the kinds of tough choices almost half of hard-working Ohioans are faced with because their employers don't allow them to earn paid sick days.
The Ohio Healthy Families Act is a proposed new state law that would make our state one of the most family-friendly in the nation. The Act would require businesses with 25 or more workers to allow full-time employees to earn 7 paid sick days per year. Part-time workers could earn a smaller, pro-rated number of paid sick days depending on the number of hours they work.
The Healthy Families Act would ensure middle-class workers—the backbone of Ohio's economy—have the opportunity to earn paid sick days. Full-time workers would earn 7 days a year and part-time workers would earn a pro-rated amount, based on the number of hours worked.
Although we have been diligent in pressuring the Ohio General Assembly to pass the Ohio Healthy Famlies Act, it increasingly seems clear that we will need to gather signatures to take the bill before the voters in this November's General Election.
Can you gather 100 signatures to help make a difference for Ohio?
We will continue to pressure the Legislature through May 7th. After that, we have just 90 days to gather over 120,000 valid signatures - so we'll need the help of everyone who supports paid Sick Days!
Click here to pledge to be a "super volunteer" and collect 100 signatures!
Ready to help spread the word about paid sick days for Ohio families?
If you've got a website or a blog, just copy and paste one line of HTML, and you'll have all the latest headlines from SickDaysOhio.org at your fingertips. Here is what it looks like:
Columbus, Ohio OCT 2---- Policy Matters Ohio released the results of a study detailing the range of opportunities afforded working Ohioans to earn paid sick days.
"A Healthy Standard: Paid Sick Days in Ohio," describes the current state of paid sick days in Ohio in which nearly half of all workers have no opportunity to earn paid sick days. Among the findings were that a significant number of jobs involving personal contact, such as the food services and retail sectors, lack paid sick days. Also, a significant number of labor intensive jobs in manufacturing and construction lack paid sick days.
The report noted that, rather than a burden, earned paid sick days as provided for by the Ohio Healthy Families Act would have an economic benefit to employers of approximately $1.25 per employee per week. In light of the 2.2 million Ohio workers who can not earn paid sick days, Ohio's economy would stand to gain a substantial competitive advantage each work week under the Healthy Families Act.
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