The coronavirus pandemic has exposed a critical flaw in the American economic system: the lack of paid sick leave for all workers. When people go to work sick because they can’t afford to stay home, it’s bad for them … and it’s bad for ALL of us … as one person infects many. We’ll never know how much worse the coronavirus crisis has been because so many people have no paid sick leave, but we can be sure that it’s a lot. Lots of people are dying and will die, because we don’t have universal paid sick leave.
And paid sick leave is a feminist issue, because women, who still get paid less than men and disproportionately work in lower-wage, no-benefit jobs, are disproportionately affected by not having it.
While we wait for the US Congress to act, our Illinois leaders need to fill this gap NOW. Please contact your Illinois state representative and your Illinois state senator NOW, to demand immediate passage of a paid sick leave law.
Please visit the Women Employed website to sign on to the campaign, and visit SickTime.org to learn more. Here’s a link to the campaign flyer and to a graphic for your Facebook cover page. And here’s a link to the Illinois State Board of Elections where you can look up your state legislators and their contact info.
Please let all your friends and relatives know, and please contact your state legislators by phone and email TODAY. This is one thing we can all do while we ride out the pandemic that can make a TREMENDOUS difference. Thank you!
Here’s what to do:
- Look up your nine-digit ZIP code at the United States Postal Service.
- Use your nine-digit zipcode to look up your state and federal legislators and your district numbers.
- Get a complete list of Illinois House members and their contact information here.
- Get a complete list of Illinois Senate members and their contact information here.
- Here’s phone #’s and other contact info for our US senators: Senator Tammy Duckworth—202-224-2854 or 312-886-3506; and Senator Dick Durbin—202-224-2152 or 312-353-4952
- Let your legislators know your positions on the bills described below. Demand action, courteously and forcefully.
- Tell the whole world too. Send letters to the editor, spread the word on social media, tell all your friends and relatives.
- Vote, vote, vote !!!! Now is the time to jump in to support candidates who support the issues you care about.