Dear Friend,

Today - right now - moms and other caregivers are at the State House in Boston hand delivering a “summer reading assignment” to every state legislator along with your personal stories and messages about the importance of paid sick days and the following message: "Getting sick is no day at the beach and a lack of paid sick days makes it even worse!"

Give the moms a little online backup! Send a quick email to your state legislators urging them to complete their summer reading assignment, and then do everything they can to support and pass the paid sick days bill!

http://action.momsrising.org/sign/PSD_MA_summerreading/?source=taf

Being sick is no day at the beach. But it's even worse for the nearly one million workers in Mass who aren't able to earn paid sick days. [1] When those folks get sick, or their children get sick, they're forced to make an impossible choice: Go to work sick or stay home and risk losing a day's pay, or possibly even their jobs.

But we can change this! Last week the Labor and Workforce Development committee held a hearing on the paid sick days bill – this is the earliest in the legislative process this bill has ever been heard – and it’s a sign that the bill has some serious juice this session.

To keep the buzz going we’re hand delivering powerful stories and notes from MomsRising members across the state about the importance of paid sick days to every state legislator today as part of a “summer reading assignment.”

As moms and dads we know all too well how fast the flu travels through our workplaces, schools, and child care centers. We’ve been up at 3 a.m. half-focused on caring for a sick child and half-focused on the related “what ifs?” What if I send her to school sick? Will she get worse, or get others sick? What if I stay home from work with her tomorrow? Will I lose a day’s pay, or even my job? So, we totally get the need for paid sick days. But nearly a million Mass employees aren’t allowed by their employers to earn paid sick days.

That’s why moms and other caregivers are in Boston today to deliver your stories and notes. Take a minute, right now, to give them some online backup! http://action.momsrising.org/sign/PSD_MA_summerreading/?source=taf

The Paid Sick Days Act is good for working families, public health, and business. Paid sick days would help contain health care costs through prevention, early detection and treatment of illness. With paid sick days, families will not be forced to send sick children to school and likely infect classmates and teachers; workers with paid sick days would not spread illness to their coworkers and customers; and businesses would benefit from more productive employees, higher employee morale and reduced turnover costs.

Back up the moms in Boston – send an email to your state legislators urging them to support and pass the paid sick days bill! http://action.momsrising.org/sign/PSD_MA_summerreading/?source=taf

*And please forward this email to your friends and family so they can be part of the action too!

Together, we are a powerful force for women and families!



[1] Institute for Women’s Policy Research, “Access to Paid Sick Days in the States, 2010,” March 2011