Philly Workers and Coronavirus: Join Us for a Virtual Town Hall and Speak Out

As COVID-19 wreaks havoc across the globe, Philadelphia workers are experiencing devastating - and potentially long lasting - economic hardship.

On Thursday, March 26 at 6 pm, join hundreds of impacted Philadelphia workers and elected City Hall officials for a virtual town hall to hear more about the impact of the coronavirus on retail, restaurant, healthcare, education, and domestic workers - and proposed solutions to the financial devastations we face. Workers will be joined by City Councilmembers and the Mayor’s Office for this video (Zoom) town hall. Join us to make sure that ALL Philly workers receive the support they need during this difficult time!

Here’s how you can get the word out!

1. RSVP here in English; RSVP aqui en espanol
2. Share on social media and your listservs using this toolkit
3. Keep signing and sharing our petition

We’re all in this together - see you at the virtual town hall to make sure workers demands are met and our families and communities are safe.

Ask Congress to support the FAMILY Act!

This year, there’s a real prospect that Congress will take up the federal paid leave bill - the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY Act). FAMILY is expected to be introduced in February, and to bolster its chances, we’re trying to get as many sponsors as possible by the introduction date. We need your help to reach Congress.

We need the FAMILY Act because we need a program that reaches all of us. Newborn or newly adopted children need time to bond with their parents, but those who aren't parents still have parents or partners or other loved ones who occasionally need care. At some point, each of us will likely require time to heal. And those who deploy to the military may need help meeting their family responsibilities. The FAMILY Act covers all these situations. We know that members will be offering some amendments to make it even more effective in reaching those who have the least access to paid leave.

It has been truly amazing to stand with you over the years in our collective fight for working families in Pennsylvania. Let's continue working to make paid family leave a reality.

Take Action:

• Call Congress at 202-224-3121 and enter your zipcode to be connected to your Representative.
• Here's a sample message: "Hi, my  name is _______, and I live in the Congressperson's district. I am calling to ask Representative ___________ to cosponsor the FAMILY Act, which lets everyone earn paid family leave at work to care for themselves of a loved one."
• Additional talking points:
• Across our nation, there's one thing families, voters, political leaders and candidates of all stripes agree on: the United States needs paid leave. It's about time we make sure everyone, regardless of where they live or what kind of job they do, can be there for family. 
• We need a program that reaches all of us. Newborn or newly adopted children need time to bond with their parents. Even those who aren't parents have parents or partners or other loved ones who occasionally need care. At some point, each of us will likely require time to heal. And those who deploy to the military may need help meeting their family responsibilities.
• FAMILY draws on the successful programs that already exist in multiple states. It speaks to the need of individuals and families for time to care. It will help businesses, especially small ones, keep people employed and cut down on costs for hiring and training new employees.
• The FAMILY Act will benefit our entire nation by making families stronger and more secure. Paid leave is critical to the success of a strong health care system, so people can take the time they need for treatment. It's a vital piece of the infrastructure needed for all of us to succeed.
• Right now only 17% of private sector workers get paid leave through an employer. This reality hurts families, hurts public health and hurts business viability. Many small employers would love to offer paid leave but can't afford to do so on their own - that's why the majority of small businesses surveyed support the FAMILY Act.

Join us for the Philadelphia Fair Workweek Hearing!

From our friends at One PA

On June 14th, Councilwoman Gym, along with 7 co-sponsors, introduced a Fair Workweek bill for Philadelphia. The bill would require that the city's largest employers of food service, retail and hospitality workers provide at least two weeks' advance notice of their schedules. In addition, it would create financial disincentives for employers to keep using the practices of clopening*, and mandatory on-call time, for these workers.

Before the bill can be voted on in Council, it has to have a hearing in the Law and Government Committee. That hearing has now been scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 30th at 2 pm in City Council Chambers.

Will you join us, to make sure that 130,000 Philadelphia service workers are heard, and to pass an important hurdle on the way to winning a Fair Workweek? RSVP now!

*clopening refers to a schedule where a worker is scheduled to close a business down on one night, and open again the next morning, without an 11-hour rest period in between.

Preemption is popping up again in Pennsylvania

While it’s back to school for many of us, it’s back to work for Pennsylvania’s full-time legislature – which means some legislators are (once again) trying to overturn Philadelphia’s paid sick and safe days law passed in 2015.

Since 2013, Pennsylvania’s lawmakers have introduced and moved numerous pieces of legislation that would allow them to interfere with paid leave laws. The Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces and their members stopped each bill so far. However, the latest attempt, HB 861, would take away not just Philadelphia’s law but many other local measures protecting workers from wage theft, gender discrimination, and unequal pay.

This practice of state interference, also known as preemption, pops up again and again across the country. The National League of Cities 2018 preemption report lists 162 preemption laws that have passed nationwide - including 19 laws created in 2017. These laws invalidate local democracy in favor of corporate interests who feel they can oppose laws more easily in 50 state capitols than they can in local governments nationwide.

Our network in Pennsylvania could use your help ensuring that local laws remain in place to protect the people who support them. Paid sick and safe days, wage equity, and gender nondiscrimination create a more equitable workplace for everyone, especially women, people of color, and the LGBT community. Here's what you can do:

• Contact your local member of the PA House Committee on Labor and Industry to share your thoughts on HB 861. 
• Here's a sample phone script: "Hi my name is __________, and I live in __________, PA. I'm calling today to ask you to oppose HB 861. City and county residents and lawmakers should be able to decide the laws that are right for their community. Please do not pass a law that interferes with our local democracy."
• [UPDATED 10/2/18] - On October 1, HB 2071, which allows employers to opt out of certain local labor laws at their discretion, came out of committee and was immediately voted on and sent to the Senate. While this law was written in response to a Philadelphia ordinance regarding bulletproof glass, it is written in vague enough terms that it might be used to apply to other workplace laws. Please call your Senators and ask them to oppose this bill.
• Here's a sample phone script: "Hi my name is __________, and I live in __________, PA. I'm calling today to ask you to oppose HB 2071. City and county residents and lawmakers should be able to decide the laws that are right for their community. Please do not pass a law that interferes with our local democracy."
• Check back on this page for updates!

Implementation Day is June 28! Join us in a Tweetstorm!

Did you know that 14 of the 50 paid leave laws (paid sick and safe days and paid family and medical leave) passed in the US have anniversaries on July 1? And this July 1st Rhode Islanders start earning paid sick and safe days!

Join us in celebrating these anniversaries and the implementation of all paid leave laws in a tweetstorm on June 28 from 2-4 EST! Check out a few sample tweets below.

In addition to the tweetstorm, Family Values @ Work and Main Street Alliance have been working together to hold events and place opeds across the country on June 28. We’ll keep you updated on what events are happening near you and where you can find opeds as they are published.


On 7/1/02, CA #PaidFamilyLeave took effect. Now 40+ cities/states have #paidsickdays and  #paidfamilyleave. Take the time you need #WeEarnedIt

Is your city or state on the list of places with #paidsickdays? Check here: https://bit.ly/2LpQa6G #WeEarnedIt

#SmallBiz owners know that sick employees on the job costs our economy $218 billion each year. That’s why we support #PaidSickDays

#SmallBiz owners support the FAMILY Act and #PaidFamilyLeave to help us and our employees balance work and family without breaking the bank.

On July 1, an additional 100,000 Rhode Island workers can start earning paid sick time to take care of themselves and still be able to care for their families. To learn more visit www.economicprogressri.org/RIPaidSickLeave #WeEarnedIt #PaidSickDays

Choosing between your health and a paycheck is a thing of the past! Philadelphia’s #paidsickdays is in effect: https://goo.gl/tLY8QP #WeEarnedIt

Join the Tweetstorm Today! 2-4PM EST

From our friends at Family Values @ Work

All workers and their families need paid sick days – time to visit a doctor, recover from illness, support a sick child or loved one without sacrificing their wages or their job. Our network and partners have now won paid sick days in 32 locations (watch that number go up soon!) But we all know people who live in other cities and states where these policies are being blocked. We need our national representatives to pass a federal standard, the Healthy Families Act (HFA). Join us May 16 – 20 to help celebrate the state and local wins and build demand for HFA Now!

You can find sample tweets here or retweet directly from our Storify. Please be sure to check out the events of the week, especially the Philadelphia event!

Our Philadelphia tweets are below!

Philly workers can use earned sick time! RT to help spread the word about benefits http://bit.ly/1D6jd9O #PHLSickDays
On 5/18 celebrate #philly joining other cities & states in giving its workers #paidsickdays! #phlsickdays #HFAnow http://bit.ly/1q9gDu0
Got the flu. Stayed home because #paidsickdays passed in #Philly. How about yours? #HFAnow http://bit.ly/1q9gDu0
Join us on 5/18 as we talk #phlsickdays and why other cities need #paidsickdays http://bit.ly/1q9gDu0 #hfanow

Preemption Threat Over, But Domestic Violence Bill Still Needs You!

Last night, Senator Hughes made a motion to revert HB 1796 to a prior printer’s number, eliminating the preemption amendment. The motion passed 26-22. Please take a moment to thank everyone who voted to help end the threat of preemption!

Thank you to everyone who made calls and spoke to their legislators, and a special thanks to our anti-domestic violence advocates and PCADV in particular.

The saga of HB 1796 continues, however. This bill, which passed unanimously in the House and was set to sail through the Senate until the preemption amendment was attached, is now marked as "over" for the day. In other words, the Senate doesn't plan to vote on it today, and since this is the last day of the session, it is the last day for votes. Unless we take action now, we will have to start over with this bill in January.

PCADV has put out an action alert asking everyone to reach out to their Senators right now. Please take a minute to do so.

STEP 1:
Please take the next 5 minutes and call your senators with the following suggested script— Harrisburg office numbers can be found here:

“My name is _______________ and I am a constituent of Senator ______________. I am asking the Senator to please support running House Bill 1796 for final passage today. It is currently marked “over" on the Senate calendar.
[If your Senator voted to revert the bill yesterday evening— click here to see roll call] I also want to thank the Senator for voting to revert House Bill 1796 to prior printer’s number 2870 yesterday.
His/Her vote supports victims of domestic violence who a faced with help or homelessness. Thank you for your time.”

STEP 2:
Click here to send a message to your Senator thanking them for their support on the motion to revert yesterday and urging them to run the bill today. If your Senator did not vote to support the motion to revert please change the message body to only include support for a final vote.

Finally, the gun rights legislation (the “Alloway Amendment”) that was nearly added to HB 1796 yesterday was instead added to HB 80. That bill is expected to run. You can call your Senators to comment on that bill as well.

Call Your Senators Now About HB 1796!

It's the last day of planned voting in the PA Senate, and HB 1796, a common-sense bill designed to protect domestic violence survivors from being evicted from their homes, is about to be amended to include pro-gun legislation.

We probably don't need to tell you that a gun is the most common weapon used in domestic homicides.

This legislation is being added to a bill that has already been amended to include anti-paid sick days language, yet another provision that would harm domestic violence survivors as well as many families across Pennsylvania.

Please call your Senators NOW and ask them not to approve HB 1796 with these amendments! They are in session as we speak and need to hear from you RIGHT NOW.


What is HB 1796?

From our friends at The Women's Law Project:

Sponsored by Rep. Todd Stephens, HB1796, titled "Protection for Victims of Crime from Certain Municipal Ordinances" was drafted in response to a situation so outrageous that it gained national attention.

Thanks to a so-called "nuisance property ordinance" that enabled landlords in Norristown, Pa. to evict tenants for calling 911, a domestic violence victim named Lakisha Briggs was forced to choose between eviction and enduring physical abuse at the hands of an ex-partner, who would not leave the home she shared with her toddler.

After passing through the House, this good faith bill has since been sabotaged by one bewildering amendment after another.

PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS NOW!

#WhatMothersNeed Week of Action

May 11 is Mother's Day, and this year, Mom needs more than cards and flowers. She needs action -

• to end pay discrimination
• to end pregnancy discrimination 
• to ensure all workers have access to paid sick days and paid family leave

In this week leading up to Mother's Day, our friends at the National Partnership have put together a kit to help your voice be heard. You can also take part in their daily Twitter storms at 3PM. Topics include: 

• Monday: Maternal Health and Child Care
• Tuesday: Pregnancy Discrimination
• Wednesday: Paid Leave and Paid Sick Days
• Thursday: Equal Pay and Minimum Wage
• Friday: Health

At the end of the week, we will also be asking moms from across the country to send us pictures of themselves with signs supporting paid sick days and paid family leave. Check back on our website for more information.

Organizations Speaking Out Against Preemption in Pennsylvania

Need some reasons to take action against preemption? Please read, take action, and share!

From our friends at Working America

When will enough be enough from our legislators?

They've come after rights we all value already, but now they want to limit the ability of workers to have paid sick days off from work.

Seriously.

Extreme lawmakers in Harrisburg are again letting their rich CEO friends call the shots, and are trying to pass HB 1807, a bill that would prevent any local entity from adopting a law that guarantees paid sick days for its workers.

We can't let them get away with another attack on workers. We need you to call right now, before it's too late.

Every day, thousands of Pennsylvania workers go to work while sick, or while having a sick child at home. Some of us are lucky enough to have paid sick days from our employers, but many others aren't. That means workers often have to make the choice of earning money for the day, or taking care of themselves or their families.

But this law, and its rich corporate backers, would end the discussion of paid sick days before it starts. Earlier this year, Philadelphia came within one vote of passing a paid sick days ordinance for all of the working people in the city.

HB 1807 would make it impossible for local cities, townships and other local entities to pass laws granting workers paid sick days off from work.

We have to push back. Can you take a minute and call your legislators now?

This bill is moving fast, so we have to act now. Please call now.

With your help, we can win this and stop continued attacks on working families.

In solidarity,

Kim McMurray
Working America

From our friends at the National Partnership for Women and Families

You may have heard about the exciting effort to pass a paid sick days law in Philadelphia earlier this year.

A broad-based coalition of workers, advocates, businesses and lawmakers voiced their support loud and clear for a paid sick days standard for the city, and won the support of the City Council.

But opponents of family friendly workplace policies like paid sick days have also heard about progress in Philadelphia — and they are doing everything possible to thwart the coalition’s efforts and undermine democracy in Pennsylvania!

Some Harrisburg politicians, with the backing of big businesses and anti-worker groups, are trying to pass a bill that would prohibit Pennsylvania’s cities from adopting local paid sick days standards or even laws requiring employers to allow unpaid leave for survivors of domestic violence.

It’s an outrage!

Please help Philadelphia — and all cities in Pennsylvania — fight back.

Call your state representative and say: "Oppose H.B. 1807. Let city residents and lawmakers decide if paid sick days standards are right for them." (Look up your state representative here.)

The House is expected to vote any day so call right now to make sure your voice is heard!

Thank you for all that you do.

From our friends at MomsRising

I'm Karen and I'm on the campaign team at MomsRising. I usually work on our national food justice campaigns (you may have seen emails from me about school lunches!) but I'm also a Pennsylvania mom - I live in central PA.

I'm writing to you today because I am stunned and disappointed that some of our state legislators in Harrisburg want to take away the right of Pennsylvanians to pass our own local ordinances about things like access to paid sick days.

That's right: The Pennsylvania legislature is proposing legislation that blocks local governments from implementing paid sick days and other kinds of paid leave laws that aren't already guaranteed at the state level. [1] This is bad news for the 4 in 10 PA workers who cannot earn a single sick day, no matter how hard they work. [2]

I am a Pennsylvania mom and I know that PA moms are powerful! We will stand up for Pennsylvania families and democracy and stop this bad bill commonly referred to as "paid sick day preemption."

Tell your state representatives: Barring local communities from implementing earned sick time is bad for Pennsylvania families and bad for our democracy.

http://action.momsrising.org/go/3817?ak_proof=1&t=5&akid=.291707.S4zMqp

Why are legislators trying to block cities and local governments from implementing paid sick time standards that are good for PA families and our economy? Because, wealthy corporate lobbyists are trying to convince them that throwing moms and kids under the bus is good for their pocketbooks. This law will remove power from locally elected officials and strip cities and counties of their right to adopt paid sick day policies that benefit their communities - worst of all, they take power away from us to effect change at the most local level.

We won't let our leaders hand our power over to corporate lobbyists. We know that PA moms are unstoppable and we can stop this bill. Tell your state legislators to vote no on HB 1807.

http://action.momsrising.org/go/3817?ak_proof=1&t=7&akid=.291707.S4zMqp

Thanks to the organizing powers of moms and dads in Philly, the City Council there passed an earned sick days ordinance - twice! The Mayor vetoed the bill both times, but moms keep pushing for this commonsense pro-family policy and each time the bill comes closer to passing. We won't give up. And big business folks know it - that's why they want to try to block our power by blocking local bills to implement paid sick time. Moms won't be stopped.

Moms across the country are firm in their beliefs: No parent should live in fear of losing their job, or a day's pay, if they or their child gets sick. Our momentum to pass earned sick time is growing. Just this year, Portland, Oregon, Jersey City, and New York City have passed earned sick time bills.

If this bill becomes law in PA, local governments will lose their right to pass paid sick day laws.

Tell your state legislators: Don't stop PA moms and families from using our democracy to protect our families. Say no to HB 1807!

http://action.momsrising.org/go/3817?ak_proof=1&t=9&akid=.291707.S4zMqp

It's pretty obvious why earned sick time is good for public health: It helps contain health care costs through prevention, early detection, and treatment of illness. With earned sick time, families would not be forced to send sick children to school where they will likely infect classmates and teachers. Workers with earned sick time would not spread illness to their coworkers and customers.

Somewhat less obvious, but equally true, is that earned sick time turns out to be good for businesses, too. Research shows that the costs of replacing workers, including advertising for, interviewing and training new employees, often far outweigh the cost of retaining employees by offering earned sick time.

Tell your state representatives: Paid sick day preemption is bad for Pennsylvania families and bad for our democracy. VOTE NO ON HB 1807.

http://action.momsrising.org/go/3817?ak_proof=1&t=11&akid=.291707.S4zMqp

And take a moment to forward this to your friends and family so they can take action too!

Together we're a powerful force for women and families.

- Karen, Ruth, Charlie and the whole MomsRising.org team

[1] HB 1807
[2] IWPR, Access to Paid Sick Days in the States, 2010

Take Action: Stop Big Business From Vetoing Local Laws!

Right now in Pennsylvania, big businesses are trying to take away local rights to pass earned sick days and domestic violence leave laws.  Below is more information about this attempt, and ways that you can take action:

Don't Limit Our Rights in Pennsylvania

I want to have a voice in my community – that’s why I vote, take part in local hearings, and go to school board meetings.

I’m not alone. Pennsylvanians value our ability to make decisions that affect our schools, our neighborhoods and our communities. We know what works best in our backyards.

But some legislators in Harrisburg think they know better. They are trying to limit our rights and silence our voices with statewide legislation. What’s worse is that this legislation introduced by Rep. Grove (York) would hurt middle class and working women and families, like mine.

What we really need is for Harrisburg to stand up for all of us. To fight for policies that help create good jobs statewide, not to try to put an end to local efforts to support our families and strengthen our economy.

To read more and sign this petition, please visit http://www.credomobilize.com/petitions/don-t-limit-our-rights-in-pennsylvania.

No corporate veto on our local laws

Right now in Pennsylvania, some legislators are trying to deny us our right to decide democratically what's best for our local communities. They are working with corporate lobbyists to push statewide legislation that would stop cities and counties from passing laws about paid sick days, living wages and other workplace reforms that would help middle class and working women and families – families like yours.

Instead of trying to block local efforts to support our families and strengthen our economy, our legislators should be working in Harrisburg to create jobs.

Tell them to stand up to the corporate lobbyists to vote against these efforts to stop local communities from voting on earned sick days, decent wages and other modern workplace reforms.

Please call your state representative right now and ask him/her to oppose HB 1807.

To find the phone number for your legislator, please visit http://act.keystoneprogress.org/call/HB19807Call/.

When Every Penny Counts

Hilda Guzman and her child

(From our friends at PathWays PA)

"You can't get special treatment since a man can't get pregnant."

That's what Hilda Guzman was told when she asked to sit on a stool while working as a cashier on an 8-to-10 hour shift at a dollar store in Long Island.

Unfortunately, as her pregnancy continued, Hilda began to experience complications. The pressure from standing all day caused bleeding and premature labor pains. These physical problems landed her in the emergency room and eventually on bed rest. This also forced Hilda's family to live on one paycheck at a time when every penny counted. Hilda believes this all could have been avoided if she could've had a stool.

Enough is enough. It's time to take action - for Hilda and for the thousands of women across the country who are forced to make a choice between losing their jobs and endangering their pregnancies.

That's why PathWays PA is fighting back. We are joining forces with organizations across the country in a week of action in support of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Lots of pregnant women don't need any changes on the job - but some do, and for them the stakes are high. This is a common-sense piece of legislation that would require employers to make reasonable accommodations when workers need them because of pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions - just as they are already required to do for disabilities.

And with your help, we want to send 35,000 messages of support for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to Congress. Please join us today!

Why 35,000?

Well, 35 years ago this week the Pregnancy Discrimination Act was signed into law. But we obviously have a lot more work to do. And we don't want to wait another 35 years before women like Hilda can get fair treatment. That's why we need to generate enough support to get the attention of our Members of Congress. The more they hear from their constituents about this bill, the more likely they are to act.

Thanks again for all of your support.

- PathWays PA


P.S. To read more about Hilda, check out her full story here. http://www.nwlc.org/resource/fair-treatment-pregnant-workers-hilda-guzzmans-story

While Hamels Gets a Sick Day, New Phil Gets Chance to Shine

This is not turning into a Phillies only blog, I promise.  But I can't resist posting something about earned sick days when Phillies star pitcher Cole Hamels is a late scratch due to a gastrointestinal illness.  Not only will Hamels not lose any of his salary because he can't be on the mound tonight, but his sick day gives Philadelphians a chance to see a new top prospect in Tyler Cloyd.

It would be great if Cloyd can pull out a win tonight. But it would be even better if more workers had the opportunity to earn paid sick days at work.  For 40% of Philadelphians, getting a stomach bug means choosing between working sick or staying home without pay. In fact, since many employees without sick days work in the restaurant industry or other industries that come in contact with the public, their need to pay the rent might expose others to the same illness they are trying to shake.

Cole, I sincerely hope you feel better soon, and Tyler, I wish you all the luck in the world tonight.  For the rest of us regular Philadelphians, let's see what we can do to make sick days a reality for everyone, not just our Fightin Phils.  Give your councilmember a call today to discuss why earned sick days are important to you and your family.

"‘Contagion: Not Just a Movie’ Begins New Front in Earned Sick Days Fight"

Please check out this article on Philadelphia Weekly's website about the "Contagion" webshort featuring a worker from Philadelphia. Then call City Council at 800-584-6813 and tell them about your support for paid sick days or email the video to Council.

Sign the Declaration of Support for Paid Sick Days and Independence from the Mayor’s Veto

Photo Credit: Philadelphia Metro

While the Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces was thrilled with City Council's passage of the earned sick days bill we were disappointed with the Mayor's veto of our bill. On July 6th members of the Coalition came together to declare support for the earned sick days bill and independence from the Mayors veto. Members signed their own Declaration on Independence Mall and you can add your name to the growing list of supporters. We will be presenting the list of supports to the Mayor and City Council as we work to override the veto.

Sign the Declaration today!

Below is an excerpt from the Declaration - to read the entire document click here.

When in the Course of human events, 210,000 workers in the city of Philadelphia have no access to paid sick days, causing them to expose the city and its visitors to infections when employees work while ill, it is necessary to determine some means by which workers can care for themselves and their families in times of poor health without losing their jobs or their pay. 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all of humankind faces germs, bacteria, and viruses in the course of their daily lives, and these substances can make people ill even when they take action to avoid becoming sick. As such, when a public policy exists that gives workers the ability to earn the time needed to recover from unavoidable illnesses, and when that time is not freely available from their places of work, it is up to the government to take action on behalf of its citizens.

This July 6th, We Are Declaring Independence From Mayor Nutter's Veto of Paid Sick Days!

Join the Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces as They Show Their Ongoing Support for Earned Sick Days in Philadelphia

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY:
SIGNING OF LARGE DECLARATION BY SPEAKERS AND AUDIENCE

Location: Free Speech Area on Independence Mall, Market Street and Fifth Street, Philadelphia, PA
Date/Time: Wednesday, July 6, 12 PM.

PHILADELPHIA: On Wednesday, July 6, at 12 PM, representatives from The Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces will read and sign their declaration showing support for paid sick days and independence from Mayor Nutter's veto. This signing, to be held in the Free Speech Area on Independence Mall, marks the beginning of the Coalition's override strategy and ongoing commitment to earned sick days in Philadelphia.

A reading of the Declaration will take place, with readers including:

Marianne Bellesorte, PathWays PA
Kathy Black, DC 47
Sherrie Cohen
Rebecca Foley, WOMEN'S WAY.
Jasmine Rivera, ACTION United
Albert Seawright, TURN

Copies of the Declaration as well as information about paid sick days in Philadelphia will be available to reporters at the event or by emailing Kate Scully at kscully@pathwayspa.org.

URGENT! Mayor Nutter Needs to Hear From You on Paid Sick Days

We are so close! After years of coalition building, months of campaigning, weeks and weeks of in-person visits and phone calls, the Philadelphia City Council passed an Earned Sick Days policy last Thursday on a very close 9-8 vote. This could not have happened without your hard work to let our elected representatives know that over 70% of us support this common sense approach to investing in and strengthening Philadelphia's workers and their families.

But we're not done yet! Mayor Nutter still hasn't come out in support of this policy, and we've got to ask him to sign the bill into law.

Take one minute, right now, to call the Mayor's office and let him know you support the Earned Sick Days bill and want to see it become law by calling 888-892-2110!

Here's a sample script you can use when you call: "I am calling today to let Mayor Nutter know that I strongly support the Earned Sick Days bill and I want to see it become law in Philadelphia. Do you know where the Mayor stands on the bill?"

Coalition partner Moms Rising has set up this toll-free number to the Mayor's office, complete with some short talking points, so it's super-easy to make your voice heard.

Once you've made the call, let us know how it went! Share how your call went and read about others here: http://www.momsrising.org/blog/your-phone-has-super-powers-in-philadelphia/

Your call is needed! We know Mayor Nutter has heard plenty from the opponents of earned sick days, but he also needs to hear from people like you across Philadelphia that need an earned sick days policy so that they are not forced to chose between a day's pay, and possibly their jobs, when they need to take a day off of work to care for themselves or for a sick family member.

Your calls can make the difference! Take sixty seconds now to tell Mayor Nutter you support the bill and want to see it become law(888-892-2110) and then share how the call went here: http://www.momsrising.org/blog/your-phone-has-super-powers-in-philadelphia/

And be sure to forward this email to your friends and family who live and/or work in Philadelphia so they can call Mayor Nutter too!

Together we'll make sure that Mayor Nutter knows moms and families are counting on him to do the right thing by allowing the earned sick days bill to become law!

It's Crunch Time!

Push for Earned Sick Days at City Council! Click here to RSVP for the FINAL VOTE June 16th at City Hall.

It’s crunch time for Earned Sick Days.

Together we’ve sent postcards, we’ve signed petitions, we’ve told our Facebook friends, we’ve updated our Twitter streams, we’ve sent letters to the editor, we’ve testified at City Council, and we’ve called on our elected officials to make a simple, common-sense investment in Philadelphia’s families and workers by creating a strong, mandatory sick day policy for all employees in the city.

This week it all comes to a head. The City Council is taking the final vote on Thursday June 16th and we are pulling out all the stops to make sure that our representatives actually represent the 70% of Philadelphians who said in a recent poll that they want Earned Sick Days. We need you to add your voice so we can win!

ESD supporters are stepping up in two ways. On Wednesday, June 15, folks are calling the Mayor and asking him to support the bill because he still hasn’t taken a stand in favor. Then, on Thursday the 16th, we are packing the City Council chambers with ESD supporters from around the city to make sure that Council members can visualize just how broad and deep the support for this policy is.

If you can take a few short minutes to make a call during the day on Wednesday, please RSVP here.

If you can join with hundreds of scores of other ESD supporters at the City Council itself on Thursday at 9:30 AM, please RSVP here. (If you don’t have a Facebook account you can RSVP here.)

This campaign is one step in making Philadelphia a first-class city all its residents. It is a common-sense way to strengthen families, protect public health, respect LGBT relationships, and reduce recruiting and retention costs for small businesses. We’re almost there, but we need every ESD supporter to stand up and let their Philadelphia representatives know.

Please RSVP for Wednesday’s call-in day and/or for Thursday’s “pack the chamber” day.

We’re so close and hearing from people like you will make the difference in convincing our City Council and Mayor that this is, very simply, the right thing to do for Philadelphia workers and their families. Please make your voice heard on Wednesday and show up for the final vote itself on Thursday!

Thank you for your support in helping bring the campaign to the brink of victory,

Council to Vote on Earned Sick Days Bill - June 16th! Come Out to City Hall to Show Your Support!

Council is Hearing from the Opposition, Make Sure They Hear from You TOO!

We are less than a week away from a vote on the earned sick days bill. We know that City Council is hearing from those opposed to the bill and they need to hear from you too. We really need everyone reaching out to Council reminding them about the importance of earned sick days.

Below is a quick script you can use:

"I am calling today to let Councilperson _____ know that I strongly support Bill 080474, Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces, and I expect the Councilperson to support it as well. This bill will ensure that families can earn sick days when they work so they don't have to choose between the jobs they need and the families they love. Do you know if the Councilperson plans to vote for the bill?"

Please report back the yeses, nos, and maybes that you hear so that we can keep track and do additional outreach. You can email kscully@pathwayspa.org with any notes or just put them in the comments below.

You can find your Councilperson at http://www.phila.gov/citycouncil/CouncilMembers.html.

The people that need to hear from supporter most are Councilwoman Verna, Councilwoman Tasco, Councilman Green, and Councilwoman Blackwell, but everyone needs to hear from us. Councilpeople Clarke and Greenlee can get different messages, since they are cosponsors - more along the lines of "thanks for your support, and we are looking forward to a positive vote!"

Philadelphia City Council to Vote on Earned Sick Days Bill - June 16th!

Help ensure City Council members vote YES on the Earned Sick Days Bill! They have been hearing from the opposition so it is critical we show them the wide range of support for the Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces bill.

WHEN: June 16, 2011 9:30 AM

WHERE: 4th Floor, Philadelphia City Hall

Help us greet City Council members as they enter Session and then pack the Hearing Room to show the importance of this bill. Bring any signs or posters to represent why you support earned sick days. You can enter City Hall at the north-east corner and remember to bring a picture ID.

Even if you have paid sick days remember a majority of restaurant, child care, and health care workers do not-the lack of paid sick days in Philadelphia impacts us all!

To learn more about the need for earned sick days visit http://earnedsickdaysphilly.com or contact Kate Scully at kscully@pathwayspa.org or 610-543-5022 x255.

Status Update: I Support Paid Sick Days

On Thursday, City Council is going to consider moving a bill for earned sick days from "suspension" to the active calendar. To show support for the issue to Councilors and Mayor Michael Nutter, Philadelphians are joining with us to hold a "virtual rally" on Wednesday May 25th from Noon to 1 pm.

We need you to add your voice to the rallying call-without even leaving your desk!

Click here to RSVP to the virtual rally!

Take part in the Earned Sick Days Coalition's virtual rally in support of an earned sick days policy for all people working in the city limits of Philadelphia.

When: Wednesday May 25th from Noon to 1 pm.
Where: Your computer or smart phone.
How: By sharing why you support an Earned Sick Days policy and/or how it will affect YOU!

• Post a Facebook status update about how Earned Sick Days can help you or why it is the kind of policy Mayor Nutter should support.
• Send a tweet to @Michael_Nutter and let him know why supporting an Earned Sick Days policy is the right thing to do.

Don't use social media but want to share a story? We're setting up a system that will allow you to say what you want to say as part of the rally. We have suggested tweets and Facebook status updates available to help you get started and once you see what others are saying on the #paidsickdays Twitter hashtag you'll have plenty more you can add.

Wednesday is part of a set of actions the campaign is taking to build support for Earned Sick Days and you participation will really help let Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and the whole City Council know that the entire city is behind this common-sense policy to support workers in the city.

Click here to RSVP for the Virtual Rally on Facebook.