Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Crank shooting call likely a case of 'SWAT-ing,' Medford police say ... Suspected car thief found asleep in stolen vehicle in Ashland ... Cooking oil fire damages SOU-owned house, displaces two ... Crank shooting call likely a case of 'SWAT-ing,' Medford police say ... Suspected car thief found asleep in stolen vehicle in Ashland ... Cooking oil fire damages SOU-owned house, displaces two ... LEGISLATURE Sick leave law regains traction in Salem Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted May. 28, 2015 at 1:59 PM Posted May. 28, 2015 at 1:59 PM » Social News The Oregonian SALEM (AP) — Senate Democrats have reached agreement on a compromise version of a statewide paid sick leave policy and expect swift action that could bring the bill to the Senate floor for a vote. The latest version of the bill would require five sick leave days for businesses with 10 or more employees. If the legislation is approved by the Senate and later by the House, Oregon would become the fourth state to require employers to provide workers with paid time off to care for themselves or an ailing family member. Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, and a leading backer of paid sick leave, said Democrats agreed Wednesday to a host of amendments and clarifications to Senate Bill 454, which had stalled after some lawmakers balked at the original proposal. The revamped bill emerged in final form Thursday morning and Dembrow said he expected it would be scheduled for a work session in the Ways and Means Human Services Subcommittee early week. Assuming subcommittee and full committee approval by the end of the week, the bill would presumably move to the Senate floor the week of June 8 and then to the House floor. Passage would allow Democrats in both chambers to deliver on a key element of their legislative agenda, following resounding victories in last November's general election. "I'm confident that we have the votes in both chambers to pass the bill by mid-June," Dembrow said. The Senate Workforce Committee, chaired by Dembrow, approved SB454 in March but the bill got sidelined by concerns over which businesses would be subject to the new law and whether to allow cities to enact their own sick-leave ordinances. During negotiations, some lawmakers sought to combine paid sick leave with proposals to raise Oregon's minimum wage or require employers to give their workers early notice of their schedules and any possible changes – practices known as "predictive scheduling." Eugene's ordinance, adopted last year and set to take effect in July, would be scaled back to the statewide standard rather than applied to employers of all sizes as originally intended. Business lobbyists had urged lawmakers to push the bar higher and exempt businesses with 25 or fewer employees. The Senate bill initially would have required employers to give workers up to seven paid sick days a year but it was reduced to five, consistent with Portland's law. "I believe that everyone, or nearly everyone,agrees that (the proposed amendments) improve the bill, making the new sick leave policy clearer and easier to implement for businesses around the state," Dembrow said. A companion bill, House Bill 2005, has moved on a parallel track with identical amendments. A House panel approved HB2005 in April, but no further action has been taken since it was referred to the House Rules Committee. Across the country,three states (Connecticut, California and Massachusetts) and at least 16 cities, including Portland and Eugene, have adopted some form of a paid sick leave measure, according to Fair Shot for All, a coalition of labor and community organizations pushing for a statewide law in Oregon. According to the coalition, 47 percent of private-sector workers in Oregon currently lack paid sick time. Tuesday in Salem, the coalition organized a press conference to lament the lack of progress on paid sick-leave legislation. Ten Democratic lawmakers attended to show their support, including Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, D-Beaverton, a family physician and a chief sponsor of SB454. "People come to work sick, and before long half your work force is out," Steiner said Tuesday. "We owe Oregonians this policy, and we hope to deliver on it." MailTribune.com Writer Posted May. 28, 2015 at 1:59 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501