Can Councilman get sick leave bill through this time?
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Can Councilman get sick leave bill through this time?
Jan Ransom
Should Philadelphia employers be required to provide paid sick leave to their workers?
That debate returned to City Council today. Councilman Bill Greenlee is taking another crack at getting the earned sick leave bill passed.
After a four-hour long hearing, Council's Public Health Committee approved the bill which could come up for a final vote as early as next week. Mayor Nutter will likely veto it and Greenlee will need 12 votes for a veto override.
So far eight members have signed on in support of the bill and Greenlee said he is confident he can get the bill through this time.
The administration described the bill as commendable, but said it would hurt businesses in the city.
"When imposed at a municipal level as opposed to a state or national level [the bill] would create a significant disadvantage for Philadelphia businesses and the competitiveness of our city's economy," said Alan Greenberger, deputy mayor for Economic Development.
Greenlee, who was especially fired up, slammed the administration and questioned why the health commissioner was not available to testify.
"I don't think that was his decision," Greenlee said of the health commissioner declining to appear. "They didn't want the health aspect mentioned."
Mayoral spokesman Mark McDonald said the administration thought Greenberger was the appropriate person to speak on the bill.
Business leaders said the measure would be too costly and would ultimately drive businesses out of the city. Meanwhile restaurant workers and some business owners that offer sick leave said the bill would benefit everyone in the long run.
Greenlee made 23 changes to the bill. The bill would not apply to interns, pool workers and state and federal employees. Businesses with six to 20 workers would have to provide four sick days and larger businesses would have to provide seven days. Mom-and-pop stores would be exempt.
So the council is going to give everyone a paid weeks vacation NOT 5 days but 7.. This city is an absolute joke... Businesses are leaving, vacancies are up... Lets continue to drive the cost of business up.... I would assume our political leaders would be shocked to hear this will cause an increase in prices, reduced wages, and hours cut.... Lets just add this to the Dems pile of increases min wage to $9 per hour and all business will have to now offer benefits... Where do these fools think all these new costs are going to come from??Sometimes all you can do is just laugh....— helpfuljoe- This is totally inappropriate for council to involve itself with... It's already a challenge to do business in Philadelphia. Mandated benefits is just not the responsibility of city government, provide free parking for employees if the city wants to be good to employees. Don't give me another reason to move my business to the burbs— Sassman
- Alan Greenberger's testimony to Council was dead on. This is NOT an arena that Council should be meddling, let alone playing in, particularly with all of the other issues that are supposed to be within their purview. The Mayor's administration opposed and continues to oppose doing this.
Council is way out of bounds.
This is a huge reach. And my business, for one, will join in any challenge that is taken to the PA Supreme Court or the US Supreme Court on this matter.— 24sDad - I would add that our office's policy - on leave, health, etc. - is already way more generous than the minimum and is supported by the culture of our office and workplace. Workplace and culture is not an arena that City Council should be legislating.
— 24sDad - Evevy worker in Philly is getting more vacation. The city council are such a joke. What ever happened to the oil refineries. Oh they are closed. Great job .— LTownBob
- Wouldn't it be more efficient if they just outlawed private business in Philly?— Beethoven987
- This shows how clueless city council is. This is not an issue that the city should be involved in. They keep coming up with more reasons for businesses not to locate in Philadelphia. What next? Every person working oin Philly has to be a member of a union? This city is dying and these people keep pandering to the Freetards.— Wildman Bill
- All they care about is votes! they don't care that businesses are leaving this city!! soon it will be another Detroit! kepp on voting these idiots in!!!— dianeoc
- waaah waaah waaah obama won. democrats are ruining everything. theyre making me provide employees with sick leave. It's a socialist state. I'm taking my business and going home.— Buster Douglas
- Stupid is as stupid does - and you fit the bill Buster.
I run a business, and I voted for Obama. Twice.
This has nothing, at all, to do with him. It has everything to do with a local city council that overreaches and is in business arenas that they have no understanding, appreciation or care of.
Your pathetic ad hominem rant somehow attempting to link this to Obama is truly lame.— 24sDad - waaah waaah waaah obama won. democrats are ruining everything. theyre making me provide employees with sick leave. It's a socialist state. I'm taking my business and going home.— Buster Douglas
- Wow - it really sucks that workers will be able to take off a few days a year when sick instead of breathing on my coffee and sharing the wealth. Let their kids care for themselves when they're sick as well. It fosters character for the little dears to decide for themselves if they need to be rushed to the ER when they take a downturn and Mom's at work.
Are there no prisons? Are there no poor houses?— Poit
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
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Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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