Milwaukee Moms Urge Voters to Support Paid Sick Days Ballot Initiative

MEDIA ALERT
October 17, 2008

CONTACT: Gretchen Wright, 202-371-1999

Milwaukee Moms Urge Voters to Support Paid Sick Days Ballot Initiative

MomsRising.org Organizes "Sick or Treat"

Just in time for Halloween, MomsRising.org, the online grassroots organization for moms and everyone who has a mom, will be working with the Milwaukee Paid Sick Days Coalition and several Milwaukee-area moms to help city residents avoid the truly scary experience of not being able to take time off when they're sick. The organizations will be talking to Milwaukee residents about the importance of the paid sick days ballot measure and preparing kids for "Sick or Treat" on Halloween night, with free candy and “germ mask”-making activities:

SICK OR TREAT EVENT KICKOFF
1pm – 4pm, Saturday, October 18
Washington Park Library
2121 North Sherman Boulevard

AT THE EVENT, Volunteers will receive “Sick or Treat” candy with “Vote YES on Paid Sick Days” wrappers, which families can hand out during Halloween. Milwaukee kids will be encouraged to dress up as germs for Halloween to spread the word that not having paid sick days spreads germs.

MomsRising.org spokesperson Katie Bethell will be on-hand for media interviews.

The Milwaukee ballot initiative would allow workers to earn a minimum of one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. Full-time employees at large businesses would earn 72 hours a year and people who work full-time for businesses with fewer than ten employees would earn 40 hours a year.

MomsRising.org is an online grassroots organization that is working for paid family leave, flexible work options, excellent childcare and health care for all children, and to stop the wage and hiring biases that penalize so many mothers today. MomsRising.org has more than 150,000 members across the United States and more than 500 in Milwaukee.

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