Philadelphia City Council last week approved legislation to guarantee paid sick leave to most Philadelphia workers — but its future is anything but certain.
Mayor Michael Nutter last session vetoed the same measure. This time around, the bill picked up two more votes, but backers are still one council vote short of overcoming a likely mayoral veto. Unless the mayor lets the legislation stand — or proponents can muster one more supporter in council — earned sick leave will again be stopped in its tracks.
So why should LGBTs care?
Like real-estate taxes, neighborhood crime or education, this is an issue that has the potential to impact all Philadelphians, LGBT or not. The Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces estimates that about 200,000 private-sector workers in Philadelphia do not get paid sick time. That means employees — who most often are already being paid low wages — have to choose between caring for themselves or their families when ill and reporting to work, interacting with fellow employees and the public in order to earn money to put food on their tables.
Besides being a public-health issue, this is also one of basic fairness, a fight familiar to LGBTs. Opponents have argued that the legislation could cost companies that are already struggling in the challenging economy. Right now, however, the lack of paid sick leave is costing 200,000 individuals, who are struggling in the same economy.
While the issue itself does not center on LGBT rights, the legislation is LGBT-inclusive. It mandates that workers who earn paid sick-leave hours can take the time to care for a same-sex partner or for children for whom they stand “in loco parentis,” meaning to whom they have no legal or biological ties. While many companies may offer sick time to their employees, the policies often do not extend to same-sex partners or their children.
Backers of the legislation recognized the need for LGBT inclusion in the measure, and this is an opportune time for coalition-building among the LGBT community and other supportive networks. The coalition has garnered support from more than 100 local organizations — which run the gamut from labor unions to domestic-violence agencies to HIV/AIDS organizations to youth and senior groups. As the LGBT movement grows and support builds for our issues among non-LGBT populations, it is imperative that the community joins hands with those willing to stand for us now and in the future.
If you personally do not get paid sick leave at work, this obviously affects you. If a member of your family or a friend does not get paid sick leave at work, this affects you. If your child — or your neighbor’s child — attends daycare where the caregivers do not get paid sick leave, this affects you. If you care about your fellow Philadelphians receiving fair and equal treatment, this affects you.