Advocates for working families in Denver had hoped to pass a measure in local elections that would have mandated paid sick leave for low-wage workers, but on Tuesday the measure was defeated by Denver voters, who were inundated with advertisements against the measure known as Initiative 300. Opposed by the National Restaurant Association and several local Chambers of Commerce, proponents of the family-friendly measure found themselves outspent by almost two-to-one.
On the Family Values @Work Web site, Executive Director Ellen Bravo writes:
Deep-pocketed may have defeated Initiative 300 in Denver, but they can’t stop the momentum for paid sick days around the country.
We salute the broad coalition in Denver, made up of 160 grassroots groups and business owners, who made visible the incredible need in their city for allowing workers to earn paid sick days. Thanks to the hard work of this coalition, the people of Denver have begun to make themselves heard.
Their voices will be magnified by groups across the country who will continue to add to the wins our movement has already achieved.
Read more on Initiative 300 here.
The blog originally appeared in AFL-CIO Now blog on November 2, 2011. Reprinted with permission.
About the Author: Adele Stan is a journalist and lifelong member of the labor movement, reports on a timely forum on inequality and jobs at Georgetown University today.
