February 13, 2019
Contact: Kenza Hadj-Moussa, 612-386-9556, kenza@takeactionminnesota.org or Josh Keller, 612-270-2984, jkeller@seiumn.org
NEWS RELEASE
Paid Sick Time Clears First Hurdle at the Capitol
House Labor Committee advances Earned Sick and Safe Time
ST. PAUL— On Wednesday, Minnesotans from across the state came to the Capitol for the first legislative hearing for HF11, a bill to ensure all Minnesotans have Earned Sick and Safe Time to care for our families.
One person making the trip St. Cloud resident Raye Perez (they/them). Raye was 12 years old the first time they missed school to take care of their brother with asthma.
Growing up, neither of Perez’s parents had paid sick time. Their mother works as a medical receptionist. Perez’s father, a military veteran, works maintenance at a hospital and is going to school.
Despite taking college-level courses in high school, Perez was berated by teachers for missing class so frequently. There wasn’t another option for Perez, the oldest of five siblings. Perez’s parents couldn’t afford to miss a paycheck.
Perez, 20, is studying to be a social studies teacher at St. Cloud State University. They carry a lot of animosity for having to miss out on part of their education.
But state lawmakers are considering a bill that would ensure working families like Perez’s have access to paid sick time. If it passes, Earned Sick and Safe Time would allow workers to accrue up to 48 hours per year of paid time to care for themselves or a loved one.
“Not having paid sick time has put me in tough situations since I was a child and it still is to this day. I work two jobs to make ends meet, one in childcare and one in retail. I don’t have sick time in either of those jobs,” Perez told House Labor Committee Members.
“I’ve had to make really difficult choices to miss a day of pay to take time to care of myself when I’m sick. If you think working with little kids is hard, try doing it when you’ve lost your voice and are fatigued. In both of my jobs, I work with people. I’m worried one day I could get someone else sick because I couldn’t lose pay by calling in.”
Approximately 730,000 workers in Minnesota don’t have access to paid sick time.[1]
But there’s growing momentum to change this. Eleven states and 33 municipalities have already passed paid sick time laws, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Duluth.
“In Minnesota, we want to be a caring state. We want families to be healthy and safe,” said Representative John Lesch, chief author of the bill. “We know this impacts families in every corner of our state, with a disproportionate impact on women and people of color. This means that in a state with the 2nd most Fortune 500 companies per capita, mothers and fathers must often face a terrible choice between caring for themselves or loved ones when they are ill.”
Business owners also spoke out at the hearing in support of this common sense bill. Elizabeth Spehar, owner of Snooty Fox Tea Shop in Duluth, sees paid time to care as a tool that improves the quality of life for Minnesotans.
“Small business owners like me worked hard to pass Earned Sick and Safe Time in Duluth,” Spehar stated. We believe all workers, regardless of industry, business size, or location should have access to this benefit.”
“My parents should not have had to make the choice to pull kids out of school because they couldn’t miss a paycheck. My parents did the best they could but were left with a hard choice like many parents because we do not have systems in place to support parents and children,” said Perez.
“While I want to be a teacher, I don’t believe I should ‘find a better job’ now to earn the ability to take care of myself and loved ones when I’m sick. I’m a human now and I’ll be a human then. I deserve to be able to take care of myself.”
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TakeAction Minnesota is a statewide, independent, multiracial people’s organization working to advance democracy and equity through organizing, political action, and campaigns. The organization has offices in St. Paul, Duluth, and St. Cloud.
[1] Institute for Women’s Policy Research, 2016.
