U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson and advocates for a paid sick time referendum in Orange County are marking the one-year anniversary of that historic ballot effort, and making a new push for an expansion of the 20-year-old federal Family and Medical Leave Act.
Grayson, D-Orlando, and members of Organize Now, the progressive group behind the referendum, are holding a press conference Tuesday to push for broadening the first federal law that guaranteed Americans time off to care for family members.
The federal law, signed by President Clinton, guarantees 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a new child, a sick family member, or recover from an illness.
A year ago this month, the progressive coalition group called Citizens for a Greater Orange County secured more than 50,000 petition signatures to put a similar, paid sick time measure on the local ballot.
That first-ever ballot effort of its kind would have asked voters whether they wanted to require employers to provide paid time off to workers who are ill or caring for a sick family member. Both full- and part-time employees would earn one hour of sick time for every 37 hours they work, to a maximum of 56 hours annually.
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