Labor advocates praise Obama’s speech
President Obama announced today that he is signing an executive order requiring federal contractors to provide up to seven days of paid sick leave a year, benefitting more than 300,000 people.
Obama spoke at the Labor Day breakfast organized by the Greater Boston Labor Council at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. He encouraged states and cities to follow the example set by Massachusetts, a comment that resonated with many advocates involved with workers rights.
“We were honored that the President came to celebrate Labor Day with us,’’ said Roxana Rivera, the Vice President of 32BJ SEIU. “We have had recent victories here, like with minimum wage, and it’s great to hear the President discuss those issues. But at the same time, there’s still so much work to be done.’’
Obama chose Boston as the venue for these announcements because of this state’s recent strides in labor laws. Voters here approved a new paid sick-leave law last year that took effect in July, and the Boston City Council passed an ordinance in April creating six weeks of paid parental leave for City of Boston employees.
Steve Tolman of Massachusetts AFL-CIO, a labor advocacy group that represents multiple unions, said Labor Day is the time to convey to the public that organized labor wants to help solve workers’ rights issues.
“We’re fighting for decent wages, we’re fighting to preserve the middle class, and most importantly to not be an obstructionist, not be part of the problem,’’ Tolman said. “And I think the President coming demonstrated that today.’’
Obama’s order will follow the same rules as Massachusetts’s new law that requires an employer to provide one hour of earned sick time for every 30 hours worked. Employees may use that sick time to care for themselves or relatives.
“Organized labor has really made efforts to reach out, and the victories here in Massachusetts show that that actually works,’’ Rivera said.
The executive order will apply only to new federal contracts starting in 2017, after Obama is out of office, but adds to the number of previous steps he has made toward expanded access to paid leave. In January, the president issued a Presidential Memorandum directing the federal government to advance up to six weeks of paid sick leave in connection with the birth or adoption of a child, and called on Congress to pass legislation giving federal employees six additional weeks of paid parental leave.
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