MomsRising member testifies in the Senate!
Posted November 10th, 2009 by Katie Bethell
MomsRising member Desiree with Senator Dodd before the hearing.
Today a hearing on H1N1 and the need for paid sick days was held in the Subcommittee on Children and Families of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions. Currently, 57 million working people across the United States who do not have paid sick leave and are forced to go without pay if they or any of their children are sick. This is a serious problem for public health officials, who are trying to contain H1N1.
Connecticut MomsRising Member Desiree Rosado was there to testify on behalf of MomsRising, and the parents across the country who deal with this issue every flu season. She shared her personal experience with the Committee:
“We are trying to pay down debts and make our family financially stable, but it’s a hard road,” Rosado told the Subcommittee in her testimony. “And it’s made a lot harder because whenever we get sick or our children get sick, we have to decide whether to stay home without pay, or to disregard doctor’s orders and risk getting sicker and infecting other by going to work or school.”
Watch the testimony here: http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2009_11_10/2009_11_10.html (she is at about 1:28:00)
Desiree’s testimony made an impact, building a powerful case for the need for paid sick days. Thank you Desiree for all your work!
13 Comments
November 15, 2009 at 8:25 pm by Ann MyersIf companies/employers did the right thing and paid their workers well and gave them sick leave the government wouldn’t have to step in. The government only steps in when people’s rights are being violated. If it wasn’t for the government stepping in in the early part of the century children would still be working in factories and coal mines.
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November 13, 2009 at 5:14 pm by Melinda GonzalesThank you so much for being there Desiree. It’s true that we start dipping into monies afforded for Rent, utilities and etc and if you have more than one child, you’re in trouble before you know it because you have to consider your Dr’s visit co-pay, prescriptions and then your unpaid day/days off times 2. And that’s if you’re lucky enough not to get sick yourself. Thanks again.:)
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November 13, 2009 at 5:01 pm by Jeff SpanglerDesiree was our rock star in the Senate hearing. Thanks to her and Carlos and family for telling their story.
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November 13, 2009 at 4:16 pm by Katie HoltThank you Desiree for speaking up for millions of employees like yourself. I have had a cough since the end of October, finally I saw my doctor and was told that I had double Pneumonia. My doctor took me off from work for two weeks. I left my doctor office and return to work, did not inform my supervisor due to the company policy states that you can’t work if you have doctors orders not to work. I have 5 paid sick days and only have 2 more sick days left. What am I to do, when my income is the only income in my household. My doctor took me off from work last year due to I had Pneumonia in one lung. I used my 5 sick days and the remaining time off sick was turn in to my disability insurance, which refused to pay for the remaining days. Most employees do not want bother with the disability insurance, they take you through so much red tape and still deny payment.
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November 13, 2009 at 3:25 pm by Mo@cathy—-you are considered privilege in our free society if you can negotiate time off so readily. It is not an option for most workers. My daughter had the flu and then I actually caught it from her. This new strain of the flu is lasting much longer and with more severity of fever and body pain. This testimony is applauded, because our society needs to know that people are not calling in sick with the flu for 4 and 5 days in a row for nothing. I am known for going to work sick even with sick leave available….because you are frowned upon when you call into work (our free society). Parents need to express this reality for the support needed to get thru this season. Blessins and keep up the great work!
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November 10, 2009 at 10:55 pm by Carlos A. Rosado… Babe, I just wanna say,” You Go!!!” This is gonna make such an impact!!! … so proud of you. I love you.
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Anita Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
@Carlos – Congratulations! You win for the sweetest comment I’ve read on this blog.
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Just a quick comment here.. Why in the world would someone make a statement such as “x amount of individuals are forced to take a sick day without pay”. The last I heard, in America, you are free to work where ever you choose. If your employer does not offer paid sick days, find another employer.. let the free market determine these type of issues.. rather than our government. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I prefer to negotiate my own pay contract terms, such as holiday, sick days, work hours, etc.
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Tracie Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
@cathy, So nice that you can do that but most employers have those choices set up already. They offer x amount of sick time, vacation days, etc. The average American does not negotiate this, even in higher salary jobs. It is in recognition of this, I believe Desiree is making her plea. Let’s stay realistic now. Maybe in your position you were able to negotiate company policy but ALL jobs don’t have this. Even in this “Free Market” that you are talking about. Don’t get caught up in the words.
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Anonymous Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
@Tracie, The free market determines policies such as vacation time and sick days. If a company has a poor policy regarding sick days, individuals shouldn’t work there! This, through the free market, will cause a company to offer a better compensation package. Doesn’t anyone here realize, the more demands a government places on a company.. the less inclinded a company will be to hire more workers.
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Charlie Reply:
November 16th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
@cathy, Thank you cathy for you are the only one on this site with any common sense. If you don’t like what you company offers in benefits then you should go to work for someone else. Is that hard to understand. Desiree, where is your husband or the father of the three kids. Everytime the government steps in to help you it will cost you more down the line. Go ahead and be a slave to the government. They will have you living that way sooner of later.
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Thank you Desiree, for your courage to share your story and to speak up for thousands and thousands of working families. And congratulations on doing a wonderful job!!!
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November 10, 2009 at 2:48 pm by Jina RabinoffThank you for being there Desiree. So glad that you were able to make an impact. It’s unbelievable that this is not just a given.
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