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AFSCME Supports New York Mayor’s Paid Time Off Proposal

Photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
AFSCME Supports New York Mayor’s Paid Time Off Proposal
By AFSCME Staff ·
Tags: Priorities Workers' Rights State & Local Budgets

AFSCME President Lee Saunders today praised New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s proposal to mandate two weeks of paid time off for workers in the city, calling it “true progress.”

“Mayor de Blasio’s plan is true progress in unrigging a system that for too long has benefitted the superrich and corporations,” Saunders said. “Paid personal time off is not just a step in the right direction toward workers’ rights but a real commitment to honoring the dignity of working people.”

Many workers, including AFSCME members, receive paid time off through agreements with their employers. But the mayor’s proposed legislation, announced today, would guarantee paid time off for an additional 500,000 workers in the city. 

If approved by the City Council, the new law would be the first of any city or state in the country to require paid time off for workers. It follows another proposal by the mayor to guarantee health care for all city residents, including undocumented immigrants.

“More than 500,000 hard-working men and women should earn paid personal time when they contribute to the success of their companies,” de Blasio told The Washington Post. “Our city’s businesses will benefit from a more productive, healthier workforce. By putting workers first, New York City’s economy has never been stronger.”

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