When the Service Employees International Union pulled their mandatory sick leave measure from the Ohio ballot, their disappointment was obvious. They tried hard to put a good face on their actions, especially with Governor Ted Strickland and Senator Sherrod Brown standing at their side. They claimed they were pulling Issue 4 to avoid a “shrill and vitriolic ballot campaign marred by misinformation and disinformation…” Which begs the question, “When did the SEIU, one of America’s...

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In response to the announcement that Issue 4, the mandatory sick leave measure, will be removed from the ballot, Ohio Roundtable issued the following statement: Sick leave for employees is a good idea. A one size fits all government mandate is not. California has rejected the mandate as too radical. It is now obvious Ohioans would have rejected this radical mandate as well. The Roundtable will continue to fight to protect the rights of workers...

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CLEVELAND, OH - Today, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and Lt. Governor Lee Fisher announced their opposition to Issue 4, the mandatory sick leave measure. Both men committed to work toward the defeat of the measure on the November ballot. David Zanotti, President of the Ohio Roundtable, stated in response, "Both the Governor and Lt. Governor should be congratulated for coming to the right position on this measure. Everyone wants a better workplace in Ohio with...

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Gov. Ted Strickland's quest to head off a union-backed November ballot issue is common-sense, practical politicking. But if conference-table haggling doesn't derail a union-backed bid to require Ohio employers to provide paid sick days, Strickland must fight, not walk. Ohio's is among the half-dozen most powerful governorships in the nation. That, and Strickland's popularity and Republican disarray, put Ohio at his command. Strickland doesn't shy away from power. To help the House's Democratic minority become,...

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Gov. Ted Strickland knows that the sick-day mandate proposed for the November ballot would be terrible for business and job creation in Ohio. He has acknowledged as much. That's why his action on this issue will be one of the most profound tests of his leadership. On Tuesday, a union-led coalition submitted petitions to the Ohio secretary of state to add the Ohio Healthy Families Act to the ballot. If voters approve it, all companies...

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Sick leave law would kill Ohio The state of Ohio may be facing one of its biggest gambles ever, and it has nothing to do with the Lotto, Keno or casinos. It’s all about mandatory sick leave. A coalition of unions, social service agencies and Democratic politicians calling itself Ohioans for Healthy Families appears to have collected enough signatures to put an issue on the November ballot that would require every company in the state...

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Nobody really wants to see Ohio workers, already struggling with rising prices in a tough economy, having to worry about keeping their jobs and income when they or their children get sick. But a union-backed ballot initiative that would require Ohio businesses with as few as 25 employees to provide seven days' paid sick leave to each worker, no questions asked, is certainly not the answer. Aptly called a "job-killer" by Ohio House Speaker Jon...

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A day after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger threatened not to sign legislation until lawmakers approve a budget, legislators debated and voted on hundreds of measures Thursday that were largely unrelated to the budget. One bill that moved forward, and will likely land on the governor's desk next week, is supported by the governor and changes a $10 billion bond measure on the November ballot to fund high-speed rail from San Francisco to Southern California. The Senate...

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A state bill to guarantee paid days off for sick workers died Thursday amid opposition from business lobbyists and lawmaker concern that the benefit was too costly. The bill would have granted employees of small companies in California up to five days of paid sick leave each year. Workers at larger firms could take up to nine days a year. An estimated 6 million California workers -- about 40% of the state's workforce -- do...

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Strongsville, OH - The following statement was issued by David Zanotti, President and CEO of the Ohio Roundtable regarding the mandatory sick leave issue. “This is not about sick leave, this is not about achieving justice for workers, this is about defeating a seriously flawed and economically dangerous measure. Since the Governor has conceded this measure is seriously flawed, we ask him to lead the effort to defeat mandatory sick leave on the November ballot.”...

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Columbus--Ohio’s statewide LGBT advocacy group has backed off its opposition to a sick leave initiative likely to be on the November ballot. Equality Ohio’s board of directors voted at their July 19 meeting to change its position on the proposed Healthy Families Act from “active opposition” to “neutrality.” The act would require Ohio employers with 25 or more workers to provide at least seven paid sick days a year. This includes leave to care for...

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The Ohio Roundtable fired back Thursday at Gov. Ted Strickland’s attempts to strike a legislative compromise over a proposed sick-leave mandate that is headed to the ballot this fall. At a news conference in Columbus, the public policy group said it vehemently opposes the governor’s call for an agreement on the measure, which proponents are working to put on the November ballot. Strickland and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher on Wednesday said they sent letters to...

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Columbus, OH – The following letter was released by the Ohio Roundtable in response to Governor Strickland on the mandatory paid sick leave issue. For more information please visit www.playsickohio.com.

Dear Governor Strickland,

On behalf of Ohio families, workers and businesses we are writing to urge you to end your attempts to place mandatory sick leave into Ohio law. Any such attempt is not a compromise. It is...

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Strickland pushing for compromise to sick-leave initiative
July 30 2008
The Columbus Dispatch

-See the letter that the Governor's office sent out to over 500 local businesses
-Read a supplement to the letter that explains why a compromise is needed
-Read a supplement to the letter that lays out the principles of the Paid Sick Leave Act
The Strickland administration is sending letters to about 500 business leaders and business representatives in a last-ditch effort for a compromise to keep a controversial proposal for mandatory...

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Ohio Roundtable to fight sick-time plan
July 30 2008
The Columbus Dispatch

Conservative policy group's Web site is Play Sick Ohio The Ohio Roundtable lined up against the mandatory sick-days proposal yesterday, pledging to spend $1 million to defeat the measure on the Nov. 4 ballot. The influential conservative public-policy group set up a Web site, Play Sick Ohio, that seems to mock the formal name of the ballot initiative, the Ohio Healthy Families Act. If approved by voters, the initiated statute would require all businesses with...

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State sick-leave proposal draws criticism
July 30 2008
The Canton Repository

COLUMBUS A business group accused Ohio's governor of "trying to create a very dangerous compromise" on a proposed mandatory sick-leave referendum scheduled for the November ballot. David Zanotti, president and chief executive officer of the Ohio Roundtable, said there should be no compromise. "It's out of the question," he said Tuesday. The measure would require employers of 25 or more people to provide seven paid sick-leave days per year. Supporters are expected to turn in...

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URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Call Governor Strickland TODAY.
July 30 2008
The American Policy Roundtable

The Ohio Roundtable and Freedom Forum urge you to take action TODAY against Governor Ted Strickland’s attempts to negotiate a back room deal concerning the mandatory paid sick leave proposal. This proposed ballot measure requires all Ohio businesses with twenty-five or more employees to provide all full-time workers with seven paid sick days each year. Simply put, the proposal is a bad idea and a jobs killer. The Governor understands this reality, but instead of...

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Roundtable alleges backroom deal could cost Ohio jobs.
July 29 2008
Ohio Roundtable

The Ohio Roundtable and Roundtable Freedom Forum issued the following statement regarding the mandatory sick leave proposal. The statement was released at a news conference in Columbus. The statement was also posted at aproundtable.org, a site visited by nearly one million viewers each year. The Roundtable also sent this statement to over 12,000 community leaders, business people, and clergy across the state. “Ohio Governor Ted Strickland is working behind closed doors trying to create a...

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Mandatory Sick Leave Bill Could Cost California Almost 400,000 Jobs
June 25 2008
California Labor and Employment Law Blog

SB 2716 is the mandatory sick leave bill that is modeled after the San Francisco city ordinance. In its current form, the bill would mandate that all employers provide sick leave at a rate of no less than one (1) hour for every thirty (30) hours worked for any employee that works in California for at least seven (7) days per year. A study released yesterday by the National Federation of Independent Business Research Foundation...

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Study Shows 370,000 California Jobs Lost Within Five Years of Enactment of Mandatory Paid Sick Leave Bill
June 24 2008
NFIB

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A study released today by the National Federation of Independent Business Research Foundation shows the loss of approximately 370,000 jobs within five years in California should Assembly Bill 2716 become law. The Senate Labor Committee is expected to vote on AB 2716 Wednesday, June 25. The bill mandates that all employers provide paid sick leave regardless of their ability to pay. In addition to significant job losses, the bill, authored by Assembly...

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Study: Mandatory paid sick leave bill will mean 370,000 fewer California jobs
June 24 2008
East Bay Business Times

A study released Tuesday predicts the loss of about 370,000 California jobs within five years if a paid sick leave bill become law. The National Federation of Independent Business Research Foundation said Assembly Bill 2716 "imposes a direct cost, just like a tax, on California employers and will disproportionately affect small businesses." The Senate Labor Committee is expected to vote on AB 2716 Wednesday. The bill mandates that all employers provide paid sick leave. The...

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State’s mandatory sick leave price tag: $22 billion-plus
May 30 2008
OC Register

California’s first-in-the-nation bill requiring all employers to pay for sick leave would add $22 billion in new costs for businesses, according to a study by the National Federation of Independent Business Research Foundation. Those costs include wages paid for no work and new administrative expenses. In addition to the business cost, the Assembly Appropriations Committee (scroll to page C) projects state enforcement costs of $600,000 plus tens of millions of dollars in additional costs for...

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Congress Should Consider Alternatives to Mandatory Paid Sick Leave
May 14 2008
The Heritage Foundation

The Healthy Families Act (HFA, S. 910), sponsored by Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), would require businesses with 15 or more employees to provide mandatory paid sick leave. While the law should help workers taking time off when they or a family member needs medical care, a paid sick leave mandate would lead to wage cuts, forcing workers to take their pay in the form of sick leave whether they want to or not. Congress could...

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