February 7, 2018
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Action

Austin: Tell City Council You Support Paid Sick Days

A positive vote for paid sick on February 15 could help over 200,000 Austin workers.


Austin Paid Sick Leave Plain and simple, this is about all workers, across backgrounds, incomes, and occupations, having access to earned paid sick leave.

But one in three Austin workers – and 40 percent of Texas workers – can’t earn even a single paid sick day.

A paid sick leave policy would provide an urgently needed boost for the health and financial security of working families in the city.

RSVP to the February 15th rally here.

 

How to Register to Testify

The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, February 15 starting at 6 p.m. at Austin City Hall.

  • You can register on a kiosk in the lobby of City Hall beginning at noon on Monday, February 12 and up until the last speaker on Thursday.
  • You may speak for up to three minutes.
  • You may need to wait a while for your turn to testify if there is a large turnout.

 

What to Tell Council Members

Here are some talking points to help you craft your testimony. You can read Work Strong Austin’s fact sheet here.

  • Tell council members to vote “yes” on agenda item #49.
  • Forty-one jurisdictions across the country have already passed paid sick time laws, we know it works and we don’t need more study.
  • The Center for Disease Control estimates that 37% of the American workforce lack access to paid sick days.  This is consistent in Austin where 223,000 Austinites do not have access to paid sick leave. 
  • Per a report on Austin from the Institute of Women’s Policy Research “The economic and public health benefits of paid sick time coverage are substantial, including stronger, safer work environments; improved child and family health and well-being; and reduced health care costs.”

 

How to Contact Members of the Committee

If you can’t make it to the meeting to testify, use the above talking points to contact council membersby phone or email . Here’s how to reach them (tap the number to dial if you’re on a mobile device). You can find your district here.

District 1 Council Member Ora Houston – 512-978-2101

District 2 Council Member Delia Garza – 512-978-2102

District 3 Council Member Sabino “Pio” Renteria – 512-978-2103

District 4 Council Member Gregorio “Greg” Casar – 512-978-2104

District 5 Council Member Ann Kitchen – 512-978-2105

District 6 Council Member Jimmy Flannigan – 512-978-2106

District 7 Council Member Leslie Pool – 512-978-2107

District 8 Council Member Ellen Troxclair – 512-978-2108

District 9 Council Member Kathie Tovo – 512-978-2109

District 10 Council Member Alison Alter – 512-978-2110

Mayor Stephen Adler – 512-978-2100