HPAE and Coalition Partners Celebrate Passage of Paid Sick Leave in Newark
Today, the City Council of Newark passed an ordinance that will provide Paid Sick Days to Newark workers. With this action, Newark becomes the second city in New Jersey, and the seventh city in the United States, to mandate Paid Sick Days for its workers.
HPAE has been a strong supporter of paid sick leave for all workers. We were part of the coalition in Jersey City that successfully pushed for paid sick leave in that city. Now, we've achieved a second victory in Newark.
Photo below: Members of the Paid Sick Leave coaltion, including HPAE Public Policy Staff Jean Pierce (fifth from right in the first row).
Our coalition partner, New Jersey Citizen Action, celebrated the Newark Council's vote:
"Too many of New Jersey's workers are just one fever or flu away from unemployment. However, workers in Newark will no longer have to choose between keeping their jobs or taking time off to get well.
This is a HUGE step forward and a great victory for the people of Newark!! And with momentum building for family-friendly policies, we have a real opportunity to fight for statewide paid sick day legislation.
There are still over 1 million workers in New Jersey who do not have access to any paid sick time at all and who risk losing their jobs if they have to call out sick even once. For the health of our families, businesses and communities we need to do better. We have to keep fighting until we pass statewide legislation that will provide paid sick days to all New Jersey workers. It's a basic issue of human dignity and economic fairness