Strickland looks for compromise on paid sick days

August 1, 2008 by Pelikan
Filed under: Gov Strickland, Ohio Economy 

Neither Side of Debate Wants Compromise - Ohio Loses

Dale Butland, spokesman for the coalition backing the Healthy Families Act — aka a state mandate that businesses with 25 or more employees would provide employees with 7 days of paid sick leave per year — continues to dismiss attempts to compromise with his group by saying the business community opposes paid sick leave period.

Groups like the Ohio Roundtable, a conservative Republican business group seem to be saying, ballot initiative, “Bring it on.”

Both sides of this debate seem to be suffering from a poor sense of timing.

First, to my friends in labor.  Are you kidding me?  In the midst of this economy, as jobs fly out of the state, as we try to overcome the stigma of being a difficult place to do business, you want to make this an issue — now?  In case you haven’t noticed, in order for your members to be employed there has to be some semblance of solid economic activity in the state.  What are these paid sick days going to do for the unemployed? 

Imagine an Ohio economy where opportunities abound, people are not underemployed or worried for their jobs, and businesses need to compete for the best employees.  Any responsible business will have sick days as part of their benefits package.  Those that don’t probably don’t have other benefits worth a damn and they won’t retain their best employees.  Or, imagine this:  How about advocating state mandated sick days when times are better and your very public campaign won’t further add to the bad rep that is Ohio’s business climate.

And, Mr. Big Business.  What are you thinking?  Bring it on?  This isn’t gay marriage my friends.  The public is not on your side on this one. 

The only person adding value to this debate is Governor Ted Strickland, D-Duck Run.  As usual in Ohio politics, he’s the only adult in the room.  As reported by the Associated Press today, Strickland is trying to bridge the gap between business and the sick days coalition. 

Neither side seems to be listening.  That’s not good for public policy - and that’s not good for Ohio.

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Comments

3 Comments on Strickland looks for compromise on paid sick days

  1. Francis on Sat, 2nd Aug 2008 12:23 am

    2. I couldn’t agree with you more. This is an issue that is being overshadowed by the flurry of election activity that is flying around Ohio right now. We are talking about public policy that is being made by people that don’t make policy. And to the people of Ohio, if you haven’t been paying attention the past few years it has not produced good policy. As I walk into a store or library or public building I am asked to sign a petition. When asked the only thing proposed to me is the question of whether I think Ohioans deserve sick days. Well ya they do, but the petitioner cannot tell you at what cost. Are we to punish the businesses that already provide benefits to their employees? Is this kind of initiative going to cause businesses to lay off employees during the the highest rate of unemployment since the Clinton administration? Are the prices of goods and services going to be affected? How is something like this going to be administrated and paid for by the state? The petitioner could not answer any of these questions. The biggest election of our generation and we are driving a wedge into it further polarizing a community that is going to need to be brought together.

  2. Ohio Clipper on Sat, 2nd Aug 2008 9:40 am

    3. Francis, you are a great American and an exemplary Ohioan

  3. Philbin on Sat, 2nd Aug 2008 11:59 am

    4. Thanks for sharing this article.

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