Fight For Paid Sick Leave Starts In Massachusetts
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/08/08/2433531/massachusetts-paid-sick-leave/
On Wednesday, Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of labor, religious, and community groups, filed a proposed ballot question that would guarantee that the states workers have access to paid sick leave. Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) is the lead petitioner. Business owners, workers, community leaders, and clergy members also submitted their signatures.
The groups proposal would allow workers to earn one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked with a cap at 40 hours a year.
State law requires that ten voters sign an initiative petition, and then the state Attorney General must approve both questions. After that approval, the Secretary of State will provide petition forms to the organizers, who must get 200,000 supporter signatures by December 4.
The same group also filed a petition to raise the states minimum wage to $10.50 an hour by 2016 and raise the wage for tipped workers. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is the lead signer for that initiative.
Raise Up Massachusetts calculates that nearly 1 million workers in the state dont have access to paid time off when they or a loved one falls ill. Many workers across the country face a similar dilemma: 40 percent of private sector workers cant take a paid day off when they get sick, including 80 percent of low-income workers
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