22 Feb The Road to Economic Justice with MRNV & Time to Care NV: Carson City 2-18-19

Make the Road Nevada (MRNV) along with the Time to Care Nevada (TCNV) coalition went up Carson City Lobbying for Earned Paid Sick Days.

Monday February 18 was an exciting day for MRNV members as they, and other partner organizations, joined the TCNV coalition in their fight for earned paid sick days. The morning in Carson City started with a press conference in front of the Nevada State Legislative building where families made a rallying call to legislators on the importance of having earned paid sick days for Nevada’s working families. Our members held “Get Well” balloons and handmade “Get Well” cards. After the press conference, our members went into the Legislative building to find their representatives and deliver the balloons and cards. As elected officials, these politicians have a duty to listen to the concerns of their constituents, listen to their personal experiences, and to make laws that address these issues.

Setting up meetings with Legislators during this very busy day was tasking, but after 4 hours and some determination, we were able to meet with 12 elected officials. Each meeting took place at their individual offices thoughout the 4 story Legislative building. They each sat down with constituents from their district and really listened to their stories. Our members urged their elected officials to support the upcoming Earned Paid Sick day bill introduced by Joyce Woodhouse. Members attending included single families who discussed how difficult it was when they got ill and were forced to miss work, and thus go without pay, leaving their families financially insecure and not knowing how they were going to pay for groceries for that month. They also shared stories of being unable to take proper care of their children when they became ill or help them recover from an injury because they were forced to go back to work as soon as possible in order to not miss a much needed paycheck.

These stories are all too common for working families in Nevada. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, an estimated 487,869 private sector workers in Nevada, or 49% of the workforce, cannot earn a single paid sick day to use to recover from common illnesses or seek medical care. Even one day without pay can prevent a family from affording the rent, a medical co-pay, or an electricity bill. Earned paid sick days not only makes working people’s lives better, it makes our communities stronger and turns our state into a more attractive place to live and work. Employers that offer earned paid sick days help keep our families and communities healthy by reducing the spread of illness and disease that can occur when people go to work or school sick. Currently, only four states require employers to provide paid sick days to their employees (California, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Oregon). It’s time Nevada becomes the fifth state to pass this economic justice for working families across the state!