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Paid sick leave bill passes out of Council
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Paid sick leave bill passes out of Council
City Council this morning voted to pass legislation championed by Councilman Bill Greenlee mandating employers in Philly to provide paid sick leave for workers, over opposition from the business community. Mayor Nutter, who previously vetoed similar legislation, is expected to veto this bill as well. The bill passed 11-6, which would not stand up to a veto. Voting against the bill were Brian O'Neill, Denny O'Brien, Jim Kenney, Mark Squilla, David Oh, and Bill Green.
The discussion was contentious, as expected. Greenlee, speaking before the vote, asked Council: "Will we say 'yes' that a key aspect of this bill is about health? … Or will we say 'no,' like the Nutter administration said 'no'? And they're getting pretty good at saying no. They even refused to let the Health Commissioner testify before the public health committee of this council. … I guess health is only an issues when they want it to be. The way something like binding arbitration is only an issue when they want it to be."
Greenlee noted that the bill had been amended 23 times to accommodate requests from the business community. But, he brought up the topic of disrespect by employers who insist workers will abuse their sick leave. "Studies show the average worker takes much less time than is allotted. Is somebody trying to say that workers in Philadelphia are less honest than in other cties?"
Restaurant workers and union members alike spoke in favor of the bill this morning in City Council, ahead of the mayor's budget address. One restaurant worker said he had cut himself slicing tomatoes in the kitchen, then worked three more hours while bleeding from his hand because his employer would not let him leave.
But DC 33 member Vince Fragle, one of many city union members who showed up in force with signs and whistles for the Mayor's budget address, told Council, "Any worker that works in the city deserves to have sick days. But i'm a little mixed up. You're here to pass a bill to give private-sector [workers] sick days and you're not fighting for us. The mayor right now is trying to push through a contract that says when one of my members is out with a stomach virus on Tuesday and Wednesday, and it snows Friday they gotta come in as essential workers on Saturday and Sunday and not get paid overtime because they were out sick."
Councilman David Oh warned that the legislation would be a job-killer, in a city that needs more low-skill jobs. Councilman Bill Green said he'd be voting no for similar reasons. He said Philly can't be compared to San Francisco, which has been considered a model for earned-sick-leave legislation. And Councilwoman Cindy Bass, who voted in favor of the bill, said the health-vs.-economics debate was a false choice, but that she was concerned about the timing of the bill.
Garth Weldon, managing partner at The Prime Rib, says he keeps 55 people employed — but "the margins are gone." He finally was able to restore paycuts given during the recession, but he still is putting off vendors when business gets slow. "There may be a time to provide this benefit, but not in this economy. In this economy business is about survival," he said. "This is white-knuckle time in business, not paid-sick-leave time."
Greenlee's response: "It is always the right time to do the right thing."
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