Slog
News & ArtsWednesday, July 6, 2011
City Packed City Hall, Overwhelming Support for Paid Sick Leave
Posted by Cienna Madrid on Wed, Jul 6, 2011 at 6:05 PM
- It's sweaty in here.
Here's a quick .pdf summary of what the proposal would accomplish. Support for the legislation tonight is overwhelming—a majority of the audience sports neon-green Mr. Yuck-looking stickers that read "YES PAID SICK DAYS FOR SEATTLE."
Public comment is just now starting. You can watch this exciting city process at work over here.
UPDATE: Bob LeCoque, vice president of Markey's Machinery Company, is the first person to speak against the legislation on behalf of his company. "We've paid taxes to Seattle for 104 years," LeCoque begins before launching into the threats outlined by the shadowy REAL Coalition. “If this passes, we’d be forced to look at a variety of options to offset the unexpected costs of the ordinance” including taking away employee benefits and relocating the company elsewhere, LeCoque says. The Downtown Seattle Association is also apparently "concerned" about the legislation.
In other news, numerous small business owners, union workers, maritime workers, and nonprofits are testifying, one after another, in support of the proposal, including Mainstreet Alliance, the Washington State Alliance for Retired Americans, Pride at Work, a firefighter union president, restaurant owners, and a Wallingford pediatrician who owns his own business.
"I don't want to serve you a side of H1N1 with your fries," testified owner of Plum Bistro to huge applause from the crowd.
UPDATE 2: Prompted by Gabriela Quintana of the Seattle Coalition for a Healthy Workforce, proponents hold up 2,000 postcards from Seattle workers supporting the legislation. "We'll be dropping these off for you to read," Quintana says to the council. (Photo after the jump.)
- This is what 2,000 postcards looks like.
3
certainly, the very fabric of society will be destroyed & every job will leave the city of seattle if we grant our workers basic rights that are guaranteed in almost every industrialized country in the world.
4
As a matter of fact the woman who made the H1N1comment did name her business. It's Plum Bistro on 12th Avenue, Capitol Hill.
7
But how will the children eat if they can't work?
Seriously, it's the same argument every time from the same tools.
Seriously, it's the same argument every time from the same tools.
8
See the 6 people sitting down in the front? That's the bulk of those attending in opposition. Had to be tough to hear the sound of 12 hands clapping (versus 400+ when a supporter spoke).
11
Here's a quick lesson in why this is complete BS. The city has decided that workers go to work sick because they can't afford to take the day off. Interesting. Why can't they afford it? Is it the fault of small business? Did small business make $4 gas? Did small business take our tax dollars and build roads that fall down and bridges that sink? Did they build two stadiums that nobody wanted? Nope! Our government, both local and federal, does those things. Instead of properly running our city the people in charge have taken our money and wasted it. Now they want small business to take up the slack. Seriously, the people who spent tax dollars on something called a "Teen Dance Ordinance" are now telling us that it's our fault people can't make ends meet? Say it out loud. "Teen-Dance-Ordinance." You paid for that. Our city is a joke. What's not a joke is that we put up with it. Maybe while we're all taking a sick day they can close another school.
12
Small businesses in the rest of the industrialized world have to contribute not just to paid sick days but also for maternity leave. Small business thrives there. In fact, the countries with the cushiest pro-worker rules have fared the best through the recession: Norway had a mild and short recession it's already long recovered from, Sweden's recovery has been rapid and exemplary, and Germany has been doing well enough to be the main bailer-out of Greece. These are not countries hostile to small business, either. In Sweden, almost all business is small business: 94% of businesses there are small businesses.
While it's true some businesses might move out of Seattle to avoid this kind of thing, but eventually other cities and the state will follow suit, so it's an expensive solution for a temporary reprieve. But also: every time a business moves out of Seattle, it loses access to the highly educated and large workforce here, and it probably loses certain customers as well.
What happens in Sweden is that employers start taking wellness seriously so that employees don't need to take so much time off. They host onsite clinics for flu shots, they subsidize gym memberships (or have gyms onsite), they take on-the-job hygiene seriously, etc. If I were a small business worried about the cost of paid sick leave, I'd start thinking about how I can save money by taking simple steps to keep my employees well rather than arguing it makes me less competitive to pay for sick days.
While it's true some businesses might move out of Seattle to avoid this kind of thing, but eventually other cities and the state will follow suit, so it's an expensive solution for a temporary reprieve. But also: every time a business moves out of Seattle, it loses access to the highly educated and large workforce here, and it probably loses certain customers as well.
What happens in Sweden is that employers start taking wellness seriously so that employees don't need to take so much time off. They host onsite clinics for flu shots, they subsidize gym memberships (or have gyms onsite), they take on-the-job hygiene seriously, etc. If I were a small business worried about the cost of paid sick leave, I'd start thinking about how I can save money by taking simple steps to keep my employees well rather than arguing it makes me less competitive to pay for sick days.
13
Just a note, the woman who owns Plum Bistro also runs Sage Cafe and Hillside Quickies. Don't know if that's important, really...but she mentioned it. :)
I'm also willing to bet that most people who oppose this measure aren't the people who are more directly affected by it. Something tells me the VP of a machinery company gets paid sick days, unlike his low-income employees. This is a class and racial justice issue in addition to being a business issue. Yes, I understand the owners are affected in terms of having to re-adjust their benefits, etc, but how many of them have ever gone to work at Pagliacci's and served hundreds of people pizza while taking breaks to puke in the bathroom because you have the flu? It's not fucking fun.
Also, Cienna did you catch the cray cray dude who was talking about the willfully ignorant media and the elephant in the room (ie labor)? he was sitting next to me, i wanted to put a thumbtack on his chair after I heard him talk.
I'm also willing to bet that most people who oppose this measure aren't the people who are more directly affected by it. Something tells me the VP of a machinery company gets paid sick days, unlike his low-income employees. This is a class and racial justice issue in addition to being a business issue. Yes, I understand the owners are affected in terms of having to re-adjust their benefits, etc, but how many of them have ever gone to work at Pagliacci's and served hundreds of people pizza while taking breaks to puke in the bathroom because you have the flu? It's not fucking fun.
Also, Cienna did you catch the cray cray dude who was talking about the willfully ignorant media and the elephant in the room (ie labor)? he was sitting next to me, i wanted to put a thumbtack on his chair after I heard him talk.
14
To get all wonky for a sec, 14.16.030. subsection H seems a bit curious to me:
If I read that right it means:
If I request a day off and my boss offers me another shift instead and I work it, I still get docked for the requested hours from my paid leave -- even though I didn't take them! Even though I worked!?!
WTF?! Who slipped that lil' number in there... ???!
When paid sick or safe time is requested by an employee of a Tier One (<50 employee) or Tier Two (50-240 employee) employer, the employer may offer the employee substitute hours or shifts. If the employee accepts the offer and works these substitute hours or shifts, the amount of time worked during the substitute period or the amount of time requested for sick and safe time, whichever is smaller, shall be deducted from the employee's accrued sick and safe time.
If I read that right it means:
If I request a day off and my boss offers me another shift instead and I work it, I still get docked for the requested hours from my paid leave -- even though I didn't take them! Even though I worked!?!
WTF?! Who slipped that lil' number in there... ???!
15
@14 I think the key word there is 'If'.
The employee doesn't have to accept the shift. Also, the employee could just swap shift with another worker, without bringing the boss into it (happens all the time in restaurants).
But as many restaurant employees make most of their money in tips, it seems like swapping a shift could be a better deal for bother the employer and employee, no?
The employee doesn't have to accept the shift. Also, the employee could just swap shift with another worker, without bringing the boss into it (happens all the time in restaurants).
But as many restaurant employees make most of their money in tips, it seems like swapping a shift could be a better deal for bother the employer and employee, no?
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
Hating People Doesn't Make Them Thinner by Jen Graves
-
Los Angeles Gay Bar Bans Bachelorette Parties Until Marriage Equality Is Attained by David Schmader
-
Fill in the Blank by Grant Brissey
-
This Reminds Me of the Great Calculator Scare of the Late '70s/Early '80s by David Schmader
-
The Sunday Morning News by Unpaid Intern
-
Idiot Tries to Defend Bigoted Anti-Gay-Marriage Preacher on Anderson Cooper by Paul Constant
-
Six Moms with Too Much Time on Their Hands and a Shitty Website Decide to Fight Gay Superheroes by Paul Constant
-
Former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-WY) Says Members of His Party Have Rocks for Brains by Charles Mudede
-
The Saturday Morning News by Unpaid Intern
-
What the Hell Is Wrong With Seattle's Pride Parade? by Dominic Holden
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (15) RSS