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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Bord of Legislators. (Edited) October 2, 2018:

 Workers in Westchester County who don’t get sick days off at work will soon be entitled to earn sick time on their jobs, thanks to a measure passed Monday night by the County Board of Legislators.

Under the measure, workers can earn one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per year.

Under the newly passed measure, sick time will be paid at businesses with five or more employees, but may be unpaid as smaller businesses.  Sick time may be taken for a workers’ own illness or to care for an ill family member. There are different thresholds for domestic workers who will earn a minimum of one hour of sick time for every seven days worked, in addition to the one day of rest provided for under state law.

There is also a procedure in the law for filing a complaint with the County’s Department of Consumer Protection.

The law doesn’t limit the amount of sick time an employer may offer employees, but will cover the more than one-third of workers in Westchester who currently lack any paid sick time, and who may face retribution on their jobs if they take time off for illness.

At a press event Monday afternoon, ahead of the evening vote, Sarah Leberstein, senior staff attorney and workplace justice coordinator for Make the Road New York, told the story of one woman who came to the group:

“[She] wasn’t allowed to take time off from her job at a dry cleaning business in Tarrytown either to go to pre-natal appointments when she was pregnant or medical appointments for any of her own kids and if she missed even a couple hours of work to go see a doctor, the owner of the business refused to pay her for the entire day of work,” Leberstein said.

The bill’s chief sponsor, Legislator Catherine Borgia (D – Briarcliff Manor, Cortlandt, Croton-on-Hudson, Ossining, Peekskill) said, “By passing this legislation we say loudly and proudly to workers everywhere in Westchester County: your health, your well-being, matters. The protections we’re enshrining into law today are good for public health, good for business, and essential to worker safety and dignity.”

Chairman of the Board Ben Boykin (D – White Plains, Harrison, Scarsdale) said, “Providing workers with earned sick time is important for human dignity and public health, but it’s also good for businesses. Research shows that when employees come to work sick or distracted by illnesses at home, their productivity drops off the table. And, of course, when workers come to work sick, there’s a good likelihood that other workers will become sick, exponentially increasing the cost in human and financial terms.”

Under the newly passed measure, sick time will be paid at businesses with five or more employees, but may be unpaid as smaller businesses.  Sick time may be taken for a workers’ own illness or to care for an ill family member. There are different thresholds for domestic workers who will earn a minimum of one hour of sick time for every seven days worked, in addition to the one day of rest provided for under state law.  There is also a procedure in the law for filing a complaint with the County’s Department of Consumer Protection.

The measure now goes to County Executive George Latimer for his signature.

Watch the press event here: https://bit.ly/2zKittJ

See vote here: https://bit.ly/2NWgpr6

WPCNR WORK SHIFT. Special to WPCNR from the Service Employees International Union 32bj September 29, 2918 UPDATED 6:25 PM E.D.T.:

Strike Averted as Tentative Contract Agreement Reached for Residential Building Workers in the Hudson Valley

Frank Soults, spokesman for the SEIU 32BJ told WPCNR in a statement:

“The vote to ratify the new contract is at 5 PM on Thursday, October 4.

The package includes a pay increase of about 11% over the four years of the contract, with a continuation of the current health plan, pension contributions, and other benefits, and no arbitrary staff cuts. 

We settled because we reached an agreement that provides the benefits, wages and job protections that allows 1,400 superintendents, porters and other workers to continue providing the quality service that building residents depend on and deserve. “

A tentative labor agreement  was reached this evening between the Building & Realty Institute of Westchester & the Mid-Hudson Valley (BRI) and 32BJ SEIU, the union representing 1,400 residential building workers — superintendents, porters, handy-people and others —across  Westchester and Rockland counties.

The agreement averts a strike that could have taken place as early as October 1.

“The BRI is pleased that the negotiations have resulted in an agreement that works for the property owners and managers and continues our commitment to providing good jobs for the building maintenance staff,”  said Matt Persanis, Labor counsel and lead negotiator for the BRI.  “The agreement allows us to focus on providing the best service possible to apartment tenants, co-op shareholders, condo owners and tens of thousands of building residents in the Hudson Valley.”

“We’re happy to have reached an agreement for the 1,400 workers who clean, fix, and maintain 500 properties in the Hudson Valley,” said Lenore Friedlaender, Assistant to the President of 32BJ SEIU. “This agreement protects the healthcare and other benefits, and it will provide a fair pay increase, as well as maintain staffing levels at buildings.  It means workers can continue providing excellent service day in and day out at properties where 100,000 local residents live.”

The tentative agreement is scheduled to be ratified in the October 4 vote.