Statement From Mayor de Blasio On City Council Passage Of Paid Sick Leave Law

February 26, 2014

CONTACT: pressoffice@cityhall.nyc.gov, (212) 788-2958

“Today the City Council made history. Because of the work of Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and her colleagues, half a million more New Yorkers will soon have the dignity and security that come with paid sick leave. Under this law, thousands of hardworking New Yorkers will no longer have to choose between taking a sick day or earning a paycheck – and thousands of parents will no longer be forced to pick between caring for a sick child and earning enough to provide for them. From waitresses and dish washers to store clerks and car wash workers, New Yorkers across the five boroughs will finally have legal protection to a basic right that so many of us take for granted each day – and employers will benefit from a stronger and healthier workforce. The paid sick leave legislation is the first law I will have the privilege of signing as mayor, and it represents the first of many steps our city will take toward creating one New York, where everyone rises together.”