by DC Jobs with Justice | Oct 23, 2012 | Campaigns, Paid Sick And Safe Days
On Tuesday, March 4th in front of a packed and tense audience of over 100 people, the DC Council voted unanimously to pass the Accrued Sick and Safe Days Act of 2007. The vote makes DC only the second city in the country to have a paid sick days law, and the first to provide paid time off to victims of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault. rnrnUnder the new law, full-time workers at businesses with over 100 employees will earn 7 days a year to take care of their own health, the health of family members, or address a domestic violence situation. Workers at businesses with 25-99 employees will earn 5 days, and workers at businesses of 24 or fewer will earn 3 days. Part-time workers will earn paid time on a pro-rated basis. rnrnWhile winning this groundbreaking bill over huge opposition was a big victory, we also suffered some losses: rnrn*By a 7-6 vote, the Council approved a change that says workers have to be at a job for a full year or 1,000 hours before earning paid sick time. This will especially hurt young workers, workers in high-turnover service sector jobs, and people re-entering the workforce, such as ex-offenders and TANF recipients. Councilmembers Vincent Gray, David Catania and Jack Evans pushed through this change, and Councilmembers Harry Thomas, Mary Cheh, Kwame Brown and Yvette Alexander voted in support.rnrn*The Council denied sick and safe days to several categories of workers, including tipped restaurant workers, health care workers in “premium pay programs”, and students employed through University work-study programs.rnrn*The law will also allow businesses to apply for an...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Apr 4, 2008 | Interfaith Worker Justice, Projects
In response to news that Safeway and Giant were trying to cut back health and pension benefits for 23,000 grocery workers in DC, MD and VA represented by the UFCW Local 400, local faith leaders sprung into action. In addition to spreading the word to their congregations, members of Interfaith Worker Justice of Greater Washington led a delegation to a Safeway store and delivered a letter to the manager. “Members of our congregations shop at these stores,†Rev. Kay Johnson of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in DC told the manager at the Dupont Circle Safeway. “We’re prepared to support the workers in any way we can.â€rnrnRick Walsh, a long time OPEIU Local 2 union member brought the issue to his church, Providence United Methodist Church in Fort Washington Maryland. The congregation offered a special prayer for the grocery workers during Sunday services and made plans to visit three stores in the surrounding area together to offer words of support to the employees there. rnrnJust days before the contract expiration, ministers from across the city came together for a press conference to express support for the workers and call on Safeway and Giant to maintain quality benefits. “They’re not asking for a raise, but they’re also asking not to have them come out of their pocket to pay for insurance, and we believe that’s fair,” said the Rev. Raymond Bell, pastor of First Rising Mount Zion Baptist Church. Faith leaders pledged that if the workers strike, they will tell members of their congregations not to cross the picket lines. “As people of faith, we’re standing up with the workers, and...
