From Pride@Work — Pennsylvania
There’s a new threat to our community coming from the Pennsylvania Legislature. Instead of passing a law banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, some right-wing legislators are attacking paid sick days that members of our community and all workers desperately need.
Senate Bill 333 has already passed the Senate and is now in the House. It would take away paid sick days from 200,000 workers in Philadelphia and strips the right of all communities to create their own paid sick day ordinances. When people work hard, they should be able to earn paid sick time.
Tell your State Representative to support paid sick leave and oppose Senate Bill 333.
Here are the facts:
More than 40 million workers in the United States can’t take a single paid sick day to care for themselves or an ill child or they’ll lose much-needed income and even risk being fired.
While most of us take paid sick days for granted, more than 40% of private sector workers (over 210,000) in Philadelphia have no paid sick time. The Philadelphia metropolitan area is estimated to have the tenth largest LGBT population in the United States, so many of these workers are members of the LGBT community. That means a large number of LGBT workers are forced to go to work ill because they cannot afford to lose pay or risk losing their jobs.
LGBT workers have a heightened need for workplace benefits and paid sick leave would strengthen LGBT families by allowing workers to take leave and care for their partners and children. Research has shown that an estimated 30% of LGBT adults in Philadelphia have at least one child in the household. At the same time, the average household income of LGBT couples raising children in Pennsylvania is 33% lower than the household income of heterosexual, married parents. As a result, LGBT parents in Pennsylvania are less likely to be able to afford to take unpaid time off from work.
Paid sick days are also crucial for Philadelphia residents living with HIV/AIDS, especially those individuals who work in lower-wage and service sector jobs. If these workers are unable to take time off to attend medical appointments and recover from illness, their health and economic security are jeopardized. Moreover, access to paid sick time influences the ability of workers to provide care for aging family members with HIV/AIDS.
Paid sick days are important for transgender workers as well. By ensuring that all workers in Philadelphia earn a modest floor of paid sick leave, transgender workers are able to take care of their health needs without fear of lost pay or job retaliation.
The time for action is now. Call your state Representative and tell them the LGBT community wants the Legislature to stand with ALL workers by protecting paid sick days and voting NO on Senate Bill 333.
The House could vote any day. Click here to find your State Representative.
Together we can made a difference.
For more facts on Paid Sick leave: http://bit.ly/EarnedSickTime