Vote reflects two sides of Madison

Vicky Selkowe

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The Madison Common Council's narrow defeat of the paid sick leave ordinance, which would have extended paid sick leave to about 30,000 Madison workers, offers two competing images of the state of democracy in Madison. The outpouring of support for the grassroots Healthy Families, Healthy City campaign proves that Madisonians want sick leave available to their fellow workers -- for the health of those workers, their children, and all who benefit when sick workers aren't exposing co-workers and customers to contagious illness.

The ordinance's defeat, however, demonstrates that a shrill, negative message has had unfortunate influence over some of our local elected officials. Despite facts to the contrary, opponents insisted at every turn that this ordinance -- merely expanding a benefit already provided by nearly 80 percent of Madison employers -- would cause businesses to close doors, slash jobs and flee the city.

The ordinance was built on good sense, local and national data, and compromise. Ordinance supporters mobilized perhaps the broadest, most diverse coalition of labor, religious, community, social service, poverty and political organizations ever brought together in Madison. E-mails from residents to alders ran six to one in favor of the ordinance, backed up by hundreds of postcards, dozens of calls and extensive public testimony.

The outcome unfortunately reveals that the opponents' drumbeat of 'sky is falling' fear-mongering carries more weight with some local elected officials than both grassroots mobilization and the real-world testimony of local employers like Barbara Wright (The Dardanelles), Kash Weger (Madison Window Cleaning), and Lindsey Lee (Cargo Coffee). In a May 11 letter to the council and Mayor Cieslewicz, these employers were joined by 14 others in expressing their support for the ordinance, saying it "raises standards and levels the playing field" and "makes sense for strengthening our businesses and our local economy." It's truly disappointing that the voices of these entrepreneurs -- the real small business experts in Madison -- were drowned out by the Chamber of Commerce's inflamma-tory rhetoric.

More disappointing is the failure of several council moderates to support the will of their constituents. The proposal rejected by these alders was eminently reasonable, shaped by extensive input from workers, employers and community members.

The proposal:
 
• Would have guaranteed employees working in the city more than 18 hours a week (and who had worked for their employers over 90 days) the right to earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 worked;

• Exempted very small businesses;

• Retained tremendous employer flexibility by explicitly blessing arrangements whereby employers could offer incentives of cash, wage increases, vacation time, etc. in exchange for unused sick leave; allowed other paid leave offered by employers to count toward compliance; and allowed employers to offer additional shifts or hours in lieu of accrued leave.

The Healthy Families, Healthy City coalition won't let the 'no' votes of a few unresponsive, out-of-touch alders prevent the advancement of a policy that's good for public health, good for our community, and supported by an overwhelming majority of Madisonians.

We refuse to believe that in Madison, an approach to policy driven by cynicism and unsubstantiated doomsday scenarios can dominate. Instead, an approach motivated by facts, willingness to compromise, and tremendous grassroots support will ultimately triumph. The campaign to guarantee paid sick leave for Madison's workers forges ahead. Through both ballot initiative and election next spring of more worker- and family-friendly alders, paid sick leave will remain a lively part of the debate over Madison's future.

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