Dear Members of Congress,
We, the undersigned organizations, urge you to co-sponsor and advocate for swift passage of the Paid Sick Days for Public Health Emergencies and Personal and Family Care Act (S. 3415/H.R. 6150).
The spread of COVID-19 has highlighted the economic consequences faced by working people when they lack access to paid sick days. In the United States, over 32 million workers lack access to paid sick days, and for low-income workers it’s even worse. While 93 percent of the highest-wage workers have access to paid sick days, only 30 percent of the lowest wage workers do. Workers in jobs that require frequent contact with the public, including those in food preparation and service, personal home care, and child care are among the least likely to have paid sick days and the most likely to be unable to afford to take unpaid time away from work.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended that individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19 self-quarantine for 14 days. But for people without access to paid sick days, this is a near impossibility. The New York Times Editorial Board acknowledged this, writing “We Are Ignoring One Obvious Way to Fight the Coronavirus”.
Building off of the Healthy Families Act, the Public Health Emergencies and Personal and Family Care Act ensures that every working person has access to fourteen days of paid sick leave for use during the COVID-19 outbreak or any future public health emergency. This includes time for quarantine for those who have been exposed, for treatment and isolation for those who contract the virus, and for taking care of an ill loved one. It also covers lost income in the event of workplace or school closings.
This bill also acknowledges that people need time off from work when there isn’t a public health emergencies, and provides up to seven paid sick and safe days annually to recover from short-term illnesses, access preventive care, care for a sick loved one, or seek assistance related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
We urge all members of Congress to co-sponsor this bill and advocate for its swift passage. Our society is only as healthy as its most vulnerable members. We all have a stake in ensuring paid sick days for public health emergencies and for personal and family care.
1,000 Days
9to5 Colorado
9to5 Georgia
9to5, National Association of Working Women
A Better Balance
Allied Progress
American Association of University Women
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
American Federation of Teachers
American Psychiatric Women’s Caucus
Americans for Democratic Action (ADA)
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO
Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles
California Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Caring Across Generations
Center for Economic and Policy Research
Center for Latino Progress – CPRF
Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
Center for Popular Democracy
Child Welfare League of America
Children’s Defense Fund
Coalition For Social Justice
Coalition on Human Needs
Collaborative Center for Justice
Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR)
Communications Workers of America (CWA)
Connecticut Alliance for Retired Americans
Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance
Connecticut Citizen Action Group
Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF)
Demos
Economic Opportunity Institute
Economic Policy Institute
Equal Rights Advocates
Family Values @ Work
First Focus Campaign for Children
Florida Black Women’s Roundtable
Forward Together
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition
Hawaii Children’s Action Network
Health Justice Innovations, LLC
Indivisible
ISAIAH – MN Islamic Relief USA
Justice for Migrant Women
KWH Law Center for Social Justice and Change
Legal Aid at Work
Livingston, Adler, Pulda, Meiklejohn & Kelly
Maine Women’s Lobby Education Fund
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
MomsRising
Mothering Justice
NAACP
NARAL Pro-Choice America
NASW-NJ
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
National Association of Social Workers Connecticut Chapter
National Center for Law and Economic Justice
National Center for Parent Leadership, Advocacy, and Community Empowerment (National PLACE)
National Coalition of 100 Black Women Central Ohio Chapter
National Coalition of STD Directors
National Consumers League
National Council of Jewish Women
National Disability Rights Network
National Domestic Violence Hotline
National Domestic Workers Alliance
National Education Association (NEA)
National Employment Law Project
National Employment Lawyers Association
National Hispanic Council on Aging
National Immigration Law Center
National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH)
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Military Family Association
National Organization for Women
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
National WIC Association
National Women’s Law Center
Nebraska Appleseed
NJ Citizen Action and NJ Time to Care Coalition
NJ State Industrial Union Council
North Carolina Justice Center
Ohio Domestic Violence Network
Opportunity Youth United
Paid Leave for All
Paid Leave for the United States (PL+US)
Partnership for America’s Children
Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies
PathWays PA
People’s Action
Point Acupressure
Public Justice Center
RACCE
Restaurant Opportunities Center of Pennsylvania (ROC Pennsylvania)
Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United
RESULTS
SEIU
SEIU 32BJ
SisterSong: National Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective
SPAN Parent Advocacy Network
SparkAction
Sunrise Movement
The Arc of the United States
The Diaper Bank of Connecticut
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
TIME’S UP Now
Trust for America’s Health
Union for Reform Judaism
United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries
UsAgainstAlzheimer’s
Virginia Campaign For A Family Friendly Economy
Voices for Progress
Women Employed
Women’s Law Project
Workers Defense Project
Workplace Fairness
YWCA USA ZERO TO THREE