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News release

Massachusetts Moms Declare an Emergency at State House, Urge Legislators to Keep Paid Sick Days Bill Alive

April 22, 2010
Paid Sick Days

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

MomsRising.org Urges Joint Committee on Health Care Financing to Vote on Paid Sick Days
E-Mom-Ts (Emergency Mom Technicians) swept into the State House today in an attempt to rescue a crucial paid sick days bill from possible death, urging the leadership of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing to vote on Act to Establish Paid Sick Days (HB 1803/SB 1073), which has been languishing in the Committee. The group of Massachusetts moms, kids and dads delivered “ambulance-o-grams” (toy ambulanced bearing messages from moms, dads, and others across the Commonwealth about the importance of paid sick days) to the chairs and vice-chairs of the Committee.
 
The effort was organized by MomsRising.org, an online and on-the-ground grassroots organization that supports family-friendly policies, with support from MotherWoman, a statewide partner organization.
 
An Act to Establish Paid Sick Days would ensure that all Massachusetts workers can earn a minimum of seven paid sick days annually to take care of their own health needs and those of family members. Currently, almost half (47 percent) of private sector Massachusetts workers do not have even a single guaranteed paid sick day. If the Committee does not vote on the bill by April 28, it cannot be considered until the next legislative session.
 
“Right now 1.4 million workers in Massachusetts are not allowed to earn paid sick days,” said MomsRising Executive Director Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner. “That means that when they’re sick or have a sick child, they have to face the impossible choice between losing a day’s pay and taking care of themselves or their families. And when sick people go to work or sick children go to school, they risk infecting others. The Paid Sick Days Act is good for families, businesses, communities and public health. It could reduce the spread of disease, increase worker productivity and morale and reduce turnover costs.”
 
Massachusetts MomsRising members’ messages to the legislators included:
 
As a father of two in a household with two working parents, AND a small business manager, I see the need for paid sick days from both sides of the paycheck.
--Marshall, Reading, MA
 
I'm a single mom and a member of the working poor. As legislators I hope you will take the responsibility to protect your hard working citizens.
--Nina, Granby, MA
 
Over and over again this year people were told not to go to work with the swine flu. If people are not given sick days, they will come to work sick. It is so clear that this bill must be passed
-- Liana, Cambridge, MA
 
My baby ended up in the ER for croup this winter - a complication of one of the MANY colds our family caught this winter from others - too many do not have paid sick leave! Please move this legislation forward and bring this bill to a vote this session!
-- Catherine, South Hadley, MA
 

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.