Kennedy, Delauro Fight for Sick Leave
KENNEDY, DELAURO FIGHT FOR PAID SICK LEAVE
Washington, D.C.Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro joined America's working families in the fight for paid sick leave with the introduction of the Healthy Families Act. Kennedy and DeLauro, together with Debra Ness, the President of the National Partnership for Women and Children and Heidi Hartmann, President and CEO for the Institute for Women's Policy Research, rallied with workers who understand what it means to have to choose between a sick loved one at home, or keeping a job.
The legislation would allow America's working families to have seven paid days of sick leave a yearfor themselves when they're sick, to take care of their children, parents or loved ones, and to also seek preventative care before illness strikes. Healthy Families also guarantees employers the ability to track paid sick leave and mandates a GAO study on how paid sick leave policies are implemented and the costs and benefits to employers.
"Paid sick days will help prevent the spread of illness like that. Taking time off to treat illness and injuries will save health costs in the long run. It will make an important difference for insurers, for hospitals and for the health of millions of Americans. It's long past time to provide paid sick days for workers," Kennedy said. "This bill is a first step to guarantee that every worker who needs sick leave has it and can afford to take it."
"Paid sick leave is a necessity to ensure that workers have the right to take time off to deal with their own medical needs, or those of their families," said DeLauro. "It is appalling that no federal law in the United States guarantees a single day of paid sick leave to employees-particularly when middle class families are trying so hard to make ends meet."
Baltimore public school teacher Karen Ingarman spoke to the crowd about the difficulties she faces everyday in her classroom when parents can't afford to take the day off of work to care for their sick children. She urged members of Congress to allow her to focus her attention on teaching her students, instead of caring for sick students who should be recuperating at home under the care of their parents.
Kennedy and DeLauro - both champions of worker's rights - argued that paid sick leave for America's working families should be a priority for this Congress, assuring the crowd that they understand the real issues facing working Americans and will fight to see that those issues are addressed.
http://www.house.gov/delauro/press/2005/April/paid_sick_leave_04_27_05.html