Silicon Valley´s Low-Income Working Moms Take Their Fight for Paid Sick Days to Sacramento

California Chronicle, April 1, 2008

Silicon Valley´s Low-Income Working Moms Take Their Fight for Paid Sick Days to Sacramento: Contingent Will Travel from San Jose to Sacramento in Vans in Order to Meet with Elected Officials. Over 6 Million California Workers Lack Paid Sick Days.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- On Thursday, April 3, 2008, Silicon Valley´s working low-income moms will fight for paid sick days in Sacramento. A contingent will travel from San Jose in vans that will leave at 7:45 a.m. from the parking lot outside the Bay Area, National Association of Working Women´s office located at 2302 Zanker Road in San Jose.

After they arrive in Sacramento, the Bay Area contingent will be joined by a contingent of Southern California low-income working moms. The contingents of low-income working moms will meet with state elected officials about supporting the California Paid Sick Leave Act.

"I´m a single mom with three teenagers. I was previously a temp worker for an employer that did not provide sick days." said Christina De Haro, Chair of Bay Area 9to5. "I later became sick with a cough. I kept going to work because I couldn´t afford to take time off. I later came down with bronchitis and this turned into pneumonia. I kept working because I had no choice."

Over 6 million California workers do not get any paid sick days through their employer. The California Paid Sick Leave Act would allow workers to accrue paid sick days that can be used to care for themselves, a sick family member, or to recover from an abusive situation. San Francisco has a paid sick day law. The states of Maine and Ohio are considering paid sick days.

"Paid sick days should be a right and not a privilege," said Cathy Deppe, Organizer for California 9to5. "It´s only fair to workers, their families and the community."