Minnesota Workers Fight for Paid Sick Days

In Minnesota, workers are fighting to pass paid sick days legislation. On March 15, Workday Minnesota published an article on this issue. According to its article, "a Minnesota House committee has approved legislation that would provide all Minnesota workers with paid sick days."

The article further cited the special plight of working women who lack paid sick days.

In a system that forces workers to choose between their health and the health of their families and their job, women tend to be disproportionately affected. One testifier, Delinia Parris, knew first hand the grave consequences of current labor practices. “

At one point there were eight days when my kids needed me, my daughter had a nervous breakdown, my son got beat up at school and my other son was diagnosed with autism. I was also experiencing health problems and couldn’t go to work and it ended up costing me my job and my apartment,” Parris explained. Missing a week of work spelled disaster for her family, Parris said. “For a while there my family was homeless just because I couldn’t miss a week of work. People need to know that not every family has a mom and a dad. There are a lot of single mothers, like myself, that have to make it on their own.”

Unfortunately Parris’ story is not uncommon. According to a recent study conducted by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, over 22 million women in the United States work without paid sick leave.

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