GREAT polling numbers demonstrate that Democrats, Independents and a majority of Republicans polled support Paid Sick Days! Nearly 8 out of 10 women support Paid Sick Days, too.
For Immediate Release: June 5, 2008
Poll: Ohioans Support Paid Sick Days, 71-24%
Columbus - A new Quinnipiac poll of Ohio voters says support for paid sick
days is holding steady at over 70%. Similar results have been found by other
polls, notably one by the Columbus Dispatch, and two private polls conducted
for Ohioans for Healthy Families, the state-wide coalition heading the
effort to enact the Ohio Healthy Families Act this year. The Coalition is
now gathering the petition signatures necessary to place the paid sick day
legislation on the November ballot.
The Quinnipiac survey found broad support for paid sick days across party
lines, with 83% of Democrats, 68% of Independents, and 56% of Republicans
backing the measure, along with 70% of those describing themselves as
"evangelical" or "born again" Christians. A 66% majority (including 59% of
Republican voters) rejected the contention that paid sick days would
encourage employers to leave the state and cost jobs- a key argument of
business groups opposing paid sick day legislation.
The poll results dealing with paid sick days are copied at the end of this
release, and the poll may be read in its entirety at
http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1322.xml?ReleaseID=1182
Said Coalition spokesman Dale Butland:
"This poll simply reinforces what we've said all along: average Ohioans
overwhelmingly support paid sick days and don't feel it's either right or
fair to lose a job or a paycheck simply because illness strikes them or
their families. Equally important, they are rejecting the
'you're-going-to-lose-your-job' scare tactics of the business community.
Evidently, people are tired of hearing corporate big shots with huge
salaries, fat pensions, and paid sick days of their own claiming that the
sky is going to fall if rank and file workers occasionally miss a day of
work because of illness.
I also suspect they're tired of the hypocrisy shown by state legislators who
enjoy paid sick days themselves courtesy of the taxpayers --but who then
refuse to grant this same benefit to the people paying the freight. As all
the polls show, legislators who don't support paid sick days are completely
out of touch with the people they claim to represent. And when they run for
re-election this fall, I can't wait to hear them explain why they think paid
sick days are a good idea for CEOs and politicians ---but a bad idea for
regular people."
Posted by SickDaysOhio.org on June 4, 2008
Comments