TakeAction Minnesota Statement Regarding Earned Sick and Safe Time in Minneapolis
For Immediate Release
Contact: Eric Fought, eric@takeactionminnesota.org, 612-223-4744
Proposed ordinance represents compromise and responds to urgent need for Minneapolis’ working families
ST. PAUL (May 5, 2016) — At a Committee of the Whole meeting this morning, the Minneapolis City Council released draft language for an ordinance related to Earned Sick and Safe Time. TakeAction Minnesota released the following statement from Executive Director Dan McGrath:
“We applaud the City Council for taking this step toward passing a strong earned sick and safe time ordinance. It is clear that the Council took into consideration the perspectives of thousands of Minneapolis workers, small business owners, and other community members who came forward over the course of the past year to share their experience of what a paid sick time ordinance would mean for their families, businesses and communities. The Workplace Partnership Group process, and the group’s final recommendations, represent a compromise reached through an intentional and transparent public process.
“Nearly forty-two percent of Minneapolis workers are forced to make a painful decision every time they or a loved one gets sick and it’s a decision they shouldn’t have to make. For women and people of color, the choices become even more challenging. This proposed ordinance is a step in the right direction and will move Minneapolis closer to being a city where all workers are able to stay healthy and make ends meet.
“Lack of access to earned sick and safe time is an urgent problem for more than 123,000 Minneapolis residents. We urge the Council to act fast to pass an ordinance that gets workers earned sick and safe time as soon as possible, with enough hours to care for themselves and their loved ones, and that covers all workers in Minneapolis.”
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TakeAction Minnesota is a statewide people’s network of individual and organizational members working collaboratively to raise the voices of Minnesotans in their own communities to advance social, racial and economic justice. The organization has offices in St. Paul, Duluth and Grand Rapids.
