Your help is needed to ensure the NJ Earned Sick and Safe Days Bill makes it through to the Governor's desk. We are asking ALL our partners to make calls to the legislators in key committees where the bill will be heard in the next week.
Calls are needed today and tomorrow to Approps members and before Monday to Senator Labor members -- see the lists of members at the bottom of this email.
The calls will ensure the bill advances while we work with sponsors on the changes we we are seeking to ensure we have the best bill possible. Changes we are requesting include:
- Increasing the number of paid sick days to 7 (now 5);
- Ensuring workers whose employer changes through a buy-out, merger, or change in ownership can retain their accrued sick time (successor language);
- Ensuring all hospital workers who need paid sick time are covered under the bill and not carved out.
Here is the message -
- I am calling to discuss with the Asm / Senator or his legislative aide the NJ Earned Sick and Safe Days bill (A1827 / S2171) and to find out their position on the bill.
-- The bill ensures most workers in NJ will have access to Earned Sick Days, including the 1.2 million NJ workers who currently have none. We are excited to see the bill advance and be on its way to finally becoming NJ law - even as we discuss some final changes with the sponsor that would strengthen the bill so that all who need paid sick days can access them.
-- This is significant and meaningful legislation and the bill sponsors (Asw Lampitt and Sen Majority Leader Weinberg) have been doing a great job! The bill not only helps those who need paid sick days because they have none today, it also helps all workers in New Jersey by setting pro-worker standards that will create a healthy work culture where workers take paid sick time when they need it without fear of employer retaliation, job loss or other barriers that prevent workers from using this important public health measure and employee benefit.
-- With your support, NJ will soon be the tenth state to ensure that no one should have to chose between a paycheck or worse, face the loss of a job, when they or a family member fails ill. A persons economic security should not be jeopardized by one bout of the flu!
-- Will you / your Asm / Asw / Aenator vote yes in XX Committee on YY (day) when it comes up for a vote?
IF ASKED ABOUT AMENDMENTS WE WOULD SEEK: We have requested that the sponsors (Asw Lampitt, Senator Weinberg) consider a few changes to the bill that passed Asm labor committee last week and we are still talking with her about these including :
1) A narrowing of the per diem hospital worker carve to ensure all workers who need earned sick days can access them under the law, including low and middle income hospital workers (social workers, some nurses, home health aides) and those whose diem work comprises the majority if their income and who can not find part-time or full-time work with benefits. Hospitals are using per diem workers more and more to cover their staffing needs and we need to make sure that per diem workers carved out of the bill - are workers who would really be able to take a day off without pay when sick. Remember, hospital workers are in contact with the public ( and especially sick people!) and we can't take the chance that they infect others by going to work sick.
2) An increase of the amount of the minimum number of guaranteed paid sick days from 5 to 7 days. Nationally, the average worker who has earned sick time through an employer has eight days. We want to ensure lower and middle income workers without paid sick time today can achieve equity with other workers.
3) Some protections for workers whose employer changes owner, so that their accrued sick time is not lost when the turnover happens. (successor language)
Asm Appropriations , Scheduled to Meet Thursday March 22nd at 1pm
Senate Labor Committee, Scheduled to Meet Monday, March 26th at 10 am
Madden, Fred H. - Chair (856) 232-6700
Vitale, Joseph F. - Vice-Chair - (732) 855-7441
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