Ryan Nicol
Miami-Dade Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava is advancing a paid leave plan for employees who work as contractors with Miami-Dade County.
County employees already receive paid sick and paid family leave. But businesses who contract with the county are not required to give their employees similar benefits.
“All hardworking employees deserve to have time to take care of their children, their aging parents, and themselves without the risk of losing a paycheck or their job,” Levine Cava said in a statement announcing the proposed measure.
“This policy would improve the lives of many of our workers. It is a moral issue and a family issue. This is about upholding the dignity of work.”
The measure would bind any business which contracts with the county for an amount exceeding $100,000 and has 15 or more employees.
Levine Cava made the announcement Wednesday surrounded by organizations and employees backing the move.
“I was injured on the job, hurt my foot, but still had to go to work,” said Roberson Pierre, an Allied Universal security officer who is contracted to work at Miami International Airport.
“I have two kids and if my family is sick, I have no choice but to show up or not get paid. It is not fair.”
SEIU Local 1991 President Martha Baker, who represents the nurses and staff at Jackson Hospital, also added remarks in support of the measure.
“There’s no economic justice without health care justice,” Baker said. “It’s a shame that in the richest country on Earth that some folks don’t have health care or lose money or their job if they are sick. We need to change that.”
Levine Cava plans to introduce the proposal at the Board of County Commissioners meeting on Jan. 22.
The Commissioner is also one of nine candidates competing to be the next Mayor of Miami-Dade County. Also running in that race are entrepreneur Monique Nicole Barley, current County Commissioners Esteban Bovo, Jean Monestime and Xavier Suarez, former Miami mayoral candidate Robert Burke, real estate agent Ludmilla Domond, former Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas and former County Commissioner Juan Zapata.
One comment
gary
January 17, 2020 at 1:38 pm
Why not pass a bill that says… Whenever you can’t make it into work for whatever reason… Car trouble, favorite TV show is on, or you want to go fishing! No problem! Or, how about, after 1 year you can simply retire with full pension regardless of your damn age?????
geezus CHRIST!!
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