Senate narrowly passes bill requiring sick leave for service workers

Hartford – A bill that mandates paid sick leave for service industry workers narrowly passed the state Senate Wednesday and is headed for the House.

Senators voted 18-17 to approve the bill requiring service industry businesses employing 50 people or more to offer up to five paid sick days a year. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has said he will sign the measure, which is expected to pass the Democrat-controlled House.

Connecticut would become the first state in the country to mandate sick days. The cities of San Francisco, Milwaukee and Washington, D.C., have passed similar legislation.

New London area senators who voted for the bill were Prague and Andrea Stillman of Waterford. Sen.Andrew Maynard of Stonington voted against it.

The Senate approved a slightly different version of the bill than passed through legislative committee last month. Edith Prague, D-Columbia, introduced the Senate bill Wednesday along with an amendment that exempts manufacturing businesses and YMCAs from the mandate.

A longtime supporter of paid sick leave, Prague has said she doubted that the original bill could have passed without adding exemptions to please on-the-fence senators.

The dozens of sick leave activists who waited outside the Senate chamber broke into cheers and applause as a triumphant Prague emerged after the vote.

“We did it! We did it!,” Prague said. “What can’t we do when we put our minds to it?”

She and other pro-bill senators argued during six hours of deliberations that paid sick leave is a matter of public health and worker compassion.

Democrat Edwin Gomes of Bridgeport said the legislation would be a big help to low-wage workers, who can’t afford to miss a day of work.

“Sick days: it’s not something that’s an option," Gomes said, "it’s something that’s humane."

Republicans argued that the bill presents an expensive new mandate for businesses and could lead to job losses. The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has also been an outspoken opponent of the bill for such reasons.

“This sends the message that Connecticut is not friendly to business,” said John McKinney, the Senate’s minority leader.

Employees would begin to accrue sick leave on Jan. 1 at a rate of one hour for 40 hours worked, up to five workdays per calendar year. Unused days carry over to the next year, although employees can’t accrue more than five days at a time.

Workers could also use sick days to tend to an ill child, spouse or parent. Full-time and permanent part-time employees would be eligible, but not seasonal workers.

“It is clear that this is a public health issue because if people go to work sick, they infect people around them,” Prague said. “They have children to feed, they have rent to pay, and they cannot afford to stay home. Consequently, they go in sick.”

Prague’s amendment added a new exemption for manufacturing employers, allowing those businesses to abide by existing labor contracts, even if the contract grants fewer than five paid sick days.

There is also a special exemption for national nonprofit organizations that “provide all of the following services: recreation, child care and education.” Prague said that exemption will specifically apply to Connecticut YMCA branches.

Sen. Edward Meyer, D-Guilford, said he was unsure about the bill until the YMCA exemption was put in. Meyer said he was approached by the Soundview Family YMCA in Branford, which feared having to cut programs and staff if it had to follow the mandate.

Senators voted down a series of Republican-backed amendments that would have lessened the degree of the mandate on businesses.