By Nikita Stewart
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Published: February 5, 2008
District business leaders, with the backing of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, have chipped away at the D.C. Council's once-solid support for mandatory paid sick leave for all workers, turning today's vote on the measure into a down-to-the-wire contest.
When introduced in May, the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act had the support of the full body of the D.C. Council. Yesterday, however, as lobbyists on both sides of the bill walked the halls of the Wilson Building, at least six council members -- including Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) -- said the bill needed "tweaking."
Even a few members who pledged their support said their votes will hinge on amendments.
"I'm not so sure everybody knows what's in the bill anymore," Gray said. "To me, a table action is different than saying, 'I'm opposed to it.' "
Gray, the mayor and several other council members have been pushing to table the legislation because of what they see as unanswered questions, including how the law would be administered and monitored. Its financial effects are also unknown, they say.
"In the present economic climate, we need to be very mindful about long-term impacts that could potentially be created by this bill, especially for small businesses," Fenty (D) said in a statement. "I remain concerned about the ramifications of this legislation and do not support moving forward at this time."
Under the bill, large businesses -- defined as having 51 or more employees -- would have to provide up to seven days of paid leave. Small businesses -- those with 10 or fewer workers -- would have to offer up to three days. Two other categories of employers would fall in between, and part-time workers would get half the number of days.
San Francisco is the only city to have similar legislation, but the District's would go a bit further, covering victims of domestic violence and abuse, which helped determine the name of the bill.
Advocates for low-wage workers say that more than 200,000 workers do not receive any paid sick or safe leave. "The bottom line for me is that this is the floor of what workers should have," said council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3).
Supporters have praised the bill as a way to end the difficult choice many employees make: go to work sick or lose their jobs. Opponents say they would have to reduce benefits and staff to provide paid leave.
Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large), the initial sponsor of the bill last year, called the tabling "subterfuge to try to kill the legislation."
"It's important that you all are being active on this, because the council is getting an enormous amount of pressure from the business community," he said.
Mendelson made his statements yesterday before two dozen workers and advocates in a room on the first floor of the Wilson Building, where supporters held a news conference. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) also stopped by to lend his support.
Raquel Mack, a 21-year-old security guard, spoke nervously before the crowd while wearing her Allied Security uniform. Her black sweater was stretched to cover her stomach. At 29 months pregnant and with a sickly 3-year-old son, Mack said she needs some assurances that she can take time off to care for herself and her family.
"It's already a struggle to pay bills, so missing a day's pay is not an option I can afford if I need to go to the doctor or take care of my son when he's sick," she said.
Brett McMahon, a vice president at Miller & Long Concrete Construction, said that he has about 2,400 employees and that some work interchangeably in the District, Maryland and Virginia, a situation not addressed in the legislation. "I now have to have different rules for people who work in the District," he said. "I don't know how you keep track of this if you work in the region."
He said his company allows immediate supervisors to apply flexible sick leave. "We think we're pretty good with any excused absences. We just ask that you call," he said.
Barbara Lang, president and chief executive of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, arrived at the Wilson Building nearly three hours later. "We're here to shore up a few [council members] who are shaky," she said.
Lang said council members cannot support the bill when they don't know how many District residents who work in the city are affected or what the economic impact would be on businesses.
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