Here is an article appearing in the Albuquerque Journal Business Outlook reporting the paid sick leave campaign is gaining momentum nationally in many cities and states. https://www.abqjournal.com/…/paid-sick-leave-campaigns-expa… “ . In a very real sense this is an extension of increasing the minimum wage. The report notes Albuquerque will vote on such a proposal in next year’s municipal election. Albuquerque’s proposed ordinance is a voter petition initiative.
The ordinance if approved by voters will require businesses to pay one hour of mandatory paid sick leave earned after 30 hours of work and 7 days of sick leave a year after of working 40 hours a week for a full year. What the Albuquerque Journal did not report is that a coalition of some 30+ major business organizations including the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Forum, NAIOP, the New Mexico Business Coalition and the New Mexico Restaurant Association have already been formed to raise money to oppose the initiative, not only in Court but in next year’s municipal election. This promises to be a “hot button” issue in next year’s Mayor’s race and City Council races.
The voter petition initiative mandating “paid sick leave” will help the working class who have no rights, who are mostly “minimum wage” or low hourly wage workers and who are overwhelmingly “at will” employees in the private sector. “At will” employees can be terminated without any cause or notice by their employers, they have little or no employment rights, and no real vested rights in their jobs except those allowed by law such as required being paid the minimum wage and federal and state laws governing working conditions, sexual harassment and retaliation.