Latest news with #HouseBills4001
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Advocates urge Michigan Legislature not to roll back paid sick leave law
State Senators Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) and Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit), address a rally on Michigan Capitol steps supporting increases in earned sick time. Jan. 29, 2025. Photo by Jon King On Wednesday, Mothering Justice hosted a press conference and rally on the Michigan State Capitol steps denouncing proposed cuts to the Earned Sick Time Act. With temperatures in the 30s and the sun struggling to peek out from behind the clouds, the nearly 100 supporters in attendance were focused on keeping intact a Michigan Supreme Court decision last summer that the then-GOP-controlled Legislature acted unconstitutionally in 2018 when it adopted and then gutted citizen-led ballot initiatives to increase Michigan's minimum wage and create sick leave requirements for employers. 'As a mom and of a disabled child and son, I know what it is like to not have a single paid sick time, and I know what it's like for families like mine to care for children with disabilities,' said Aisha Wells, deputy director of organizing at Mothering Justice. 'The flexibility to take time off for medical emergencies is not a luxury. It is a necessity for our children's survival.' Michigan business owners, workers and lawmakers rally to save tipped wages The court's ruling set a Feb. 21 deadline to implement the ballot initiative reforms including increasing the state's minimum wage to $15 by the start of 2028 and eventually eliminating the tipped minimum wage by 2030 so that all workers, regardless of classification, earned a uniform minimum wage. It would also require employers with fewer than 10 employees to offer up to 40 hours of paid sick leave and 32 hours of unpaid leave while businesses with 10 or more employees must offer a full 72 hours of paid sick leave. Since that decision, however, hundreds of business owners and service industry workers have lobbied lawmakers to preserve the tipped wage credit and reverse the sick leave changes before they take effect. House Bills 4001 and 4002, which passed the GOP-led House last week, would undo much of what is set to go into effect on Feb. 21, when the minimum wage will increase to $12.48 an hour, increasing in phases to $14.97 by 2028. However, the Republican-sponsored legislation would keep the tipped wage at 38% of the state minimum wage, while delaying by almost a year the proposed increases to the minimum wage, so that instead of reaching $14.97 by Feb. 21, 2028, it would increase to $15 at the start of 2029. Additionally, the wage rate for employees under 18 would drop from 85% to 75% of the minimum wage. As for paid sick leave, the proposed legislation would exempt employers with 50 employees or less from the new requirements, while eliminating language that would permit employees to take civil action if their employer violates the law. 'Almost 1.5 million workers in Michigan do not have access to a single day, but guess who does have sick time? Lawmakers. Guess who else has sick time? Corporations. But who doesn't have sick time is almost 1.5 million Michigan families,' said Wells. 'Sick time is a win-win solution. Beyond being a worker friendly policy, it improves workforce productivity, reduces turnover, and creates stronger community ties for businesses. We need to fight back.' Mothering Justice called on Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids), Senate Majority Floor Leader Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) and fellow Democratic Sens. Kevin Hertel (D-Saint Clair Shores), and Darrin Camilleri (D-Brownstown Twp.), to heed their constituents' concerns and not water down the scheduled increases. Hertel, Camilleri, and Singh are the sponsors of legislation that would essentially try to split the difference between the scheduled changes and the GOP legislation. Together, Senate Bills 6, 7, and 8, would accelerate the increase of Michigan's minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2027, while keeping the tipped credit at 38% for the remainder of 2025, then gradually increasing and capping it at 60% over 10 years. They would also allow workers to file anonymous complaints against employers, while prohibiting the misclassification of workers as 'independent contractors,' preventing a wage being paid that is lower than the legal minimum. Senate Bill 15 would raise the definition of a small business from less than 10 employees to less than 25 employees. Those small businesses would then have to provide employees with 40 hours of paid sick leave and 30 hours of unpaid sick leave at the beginning of the year, instead of the 40 hours of paid leave and 32 hours of unpaid leave accrued through the year. It would also provide employers the option to provide workers a minimum of 72 hours of paid earned sick time at the beginning of a year. All four Democratic bills have been referred to either the Senate Labor Committee or the Committee on Regulatory Affairs, where no dates have been set to take testimony and potentially pass them on to the full Senate for a vote. State Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit), who co-sponsored two of the bills, spoke at the rally, and said the need for the earned sick time reforms was long past due, not just for the benefit of workers, but also employers. 'It's so, so clear that people should not have to make that choice between taking care of themselves, taking care of a loved one, or being able to pay their rent, and so making sure that people have earned paid sick time is so important, not just for families and not just for workers, but also we know that from the states and cities that already have had earned paid sick time, that actually this is a policy that's good for business as well,' said Chang. 'When we think about worker productivity, being present on the job, not having to retrain workers over and over, this is actually something that is good for business.' State Sen. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) criticized the last-minute wrangling in the Legislature. 'The Supreme Court of Michigan gave the business community, the Legislature, six months to figure out how to implement what should have happened back in 2018 the right way,' she said. 'The hard work of the people who you've all heard from, many of the folks are out there, this is a very important initiative. This is important to a lot of those who stand fighting for our families, when you need to take that time to care.' Aisha Wells, deputy director of organizing at Mothering Justice, addresses a rally on Michigan Capitol steps supporting increases in earned sick time. Jan. 29, 2025. Photo by Jon King A supporter of increases in earned sick time rallies at the Michigan Capitol. Jan. 29, 2025. Photo by Jon King A supporter of increases in earned sick time rallies at the Michigan Capitol. Jan. 29, 2025. Photo by Jon King Dr. Bridget Leanord addresses a rally on Michigan Capitol steps supporting increases in earned sick time. Jan. 29, 2025. Photo by Jon King Sarah Freudenberg, pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran in Livonia, addresses a rally on Michigan Capitol steps supporting increases in earned sick time. Jan. 29, 2025. Photo by Jon King Karrington Kelsey addresses a rally on Michigan Capitol steps supporting increases in earned sick time. Jan. 29, 2025. Photo by Jon King Supporters of increases in earned sick time rally on the Michigan Capitol steps. Jan. 29, 2025. Photo by Jon King Kelly Miller, volunteer coordinator at Focus Hope, addresses a rally on Michigan Capitol steps supporting increases in earned sick time. Jan. 29, 2025. Photo by Jon King Supporters of increases in earned sick time rally on the Michigan Capitol steps. Jan. 29, 2025. Photo by Jon King Chris White, director of the Restaurant Opportunities Center of Michigan, addresses a rally on Michigan Capitol steps supporting increases in earned sick time. Jan. 29, 2025. Photo by Jon King Supporters of increases in earned sick time rally on the Michigan Capitol steps. Jan. 29, 2025. Photo by Jon King State Senators Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) and Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit), address a rally on Michigan Capitol steps supporting increases in earned sick time. Jan. 29, 2025. Photo by Jon King Monique Stanton, president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy, addresses a rally on Michigan Capitol steps supporting increases in earned sick time. Jan. 29, 2025. Photo by Jon King La Donna Spight addresses a rally on Michigan Capitol steps supporting increases in earned sick time. Jan. 29, 2025. Photo by Jon King Another speaker at Wednesday's rally was Monique Stanton, president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy. She told the Michigan Advance afterward that the Michigan Supreme Court decision should stand as is. 'The legislation that was drafted with the ballot initiative in 2018 is the right legislation, and that's what we want to see enacted,' said Stanton. 'Michiganders are struggling. They're struggling with all kinds of things right now and people need protections to be able to take care of themselves and their families, and this is not the time to make these kinds of cuts.' Chris White is the director of the Restaurant Opportunities Center of Michigan, which filed the lawsuit that led to the Michigan Supreme Court decision. He told the Advance that changing the measures now is a slap in the face of the democratic process. 'What does it say, for a group of individuals that petitioned in 2018 and then went to court and did everything the right way, only to have it set back? That's not good policy,' he said. 'The bills that they have introduced sets back wages at a time when the cost of eggs is going up, the cost of gas is going up. If the cost of living goes up, the wages must increase. That's just common sense at that point.' White pointed to recent polling that shows a majority of Michiganders, including Republicans, support the wage and sick time changes. 'Fifty-one percent of Republicans support this,' said White, referencing a poll conducted by Progress Michigan. 'So we're concerned that the [Republican Party] is going up against what they even support. 80% of Democrats support this. So this is bipartisan support for the changes and this is bipartisan support for a stronger workforce, a stronger Michigan. So, we're not gonna stand here and let rumors, astroturf campaigns, and any of that get in the way of the change that is coming and this change is for all Michigan residents, and this change will make our state a stronger state.' As advocates gathered in front of the Capitol, Republicans in the Michigan Senate were also discussing the issue, angry that majority Democrats had yet to advance the House legislation for a vote. 'This should have been addressed long ago, and it's been incredibly frustrating to watch this chamber do nothing, even though the jobs of thousands of Michigan workers are on the line,' said state Sen. Thomas Albert (R-Lowell) during the Senate session. 'We are running out of time. Workers, particularly servers in the restaurant industry and small businesses, are begging we take action to save their jobs. I call on the Senate to approve House Bills 4001 and 4002, as soon as possible. These bills preserve the tip credit sustainably, continue to raise the minimum wage and continue to provide common sense and workable earned sick time.' Justin Winslow, president and CEO of the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association, said the group expects Michigan lawmakers to take action to prevent what they believe will result in an economic calamity for restaurants and other eateries. 'We don't need to repeat the mistakes of other regions. Washington, D.C., is already seeking to reverse course on tip credit elimination after losing 4,000 restaurant jobs. Michigan has the opportunity to learn from their costly mistake and act before we inflict the same damage on our own hospitality industry. The House has shown leadership by passing HB 4001 — now the Senate must do the same before it's too late,' said Winslow. Advance reporter Kyle Davidson contributed to this story. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
League opposes Michigan legislation weakening minimum wage, earned paid sick time
Rally at Cadillac Place state office building on April 22, 2021 to fight for minimum wage increase and paid sick leave. | Ken Coleman photo The Michigan League for Public Policy is deeply concerned about legislation that has already passed out of the Michigan House, which undermines a recent ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court and seeks to weaken earned paid sick time and minimum wage protections for working Michiganders. To provide some context on how we got here, it's important to look back at where this began. In 2018, Michigan voters were unjustly blocked from having their say on popular earned paid sick time and minimum wage proposals, which were polling at over a 70% approval rating. To stop the proposals from appearing on the ballot, the 2018 Michigan Legislature instead adopted them ahead of the election and later gutted them during that year's lame duck session. After a long, six-year legal battle, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled last year that this adopt-and-amend scheme was unconstitutional. With that ruling, Michigan's minimum wage is slated to be raised to $12.48 this February and will continue to annually increase, reaching almost $15 by 2028. The tipped minimum wage will also be raised to $5.99 next month and will continue to annually increase until it is brought above the subminimum level in 2030. Additionally, all Michigan employers will be required to provide their employees either 40 or 72 hours of paid sick time each year, depending on the number of workers they employ. Minimum wage and sick leave bills clear Michigan House with bipartisan support after heated debate However, newly proposed legislation — House Bills 4001 and 4002 — is placing these urgently needed worker protections at risk of being significantly altered, yet again. These bills seek to reduce minimum wage increases over the next several years, resulting in a $1,000 to $2,400 annual pay cut for Michigan workers, while also maintaining subminimum tipped wages and exempting 96% of Michigan businesses — those with less than 50 employees — from providing paid sick time. HBs 4001 and 4002 would move Michigan in the wrong direction in terms of strengthening economic security for workers and their families, addressing pay inequities, and safeguarding our state's public health. They come at a time when the majority of Michiganders, including both Democrats and Republicans, have said they support the minimum wage and paid sick leave changes set to take effect this February. They also come at a time when our state's wages continue to lag behind the cost of living and public health continues to be jeopardized by a lack of basic paid sick time coverage for many workers. The COVID-19 pandemic truly underscored the importance of paid sick time for all. Without it, many employees must choose to either go without pay or go to work sick. The provisions slated to take effect this February will allow all Michigan workers to take time off when they are sick without fear of experiencing financial hardship, while also reducing the risk of contagious illnesses spreading in workplaces, schools and public spaces. However, if HB 4002 passes in the Michigan Senate, these essential protections will be stripped away from nearly 1.5 million working Michiganders, placing workers, families and the general public in harm's way. Furthermore, Michigan's minimum wage already falls far behind many other states, 17 of which have already passed a $15 minimum wage. These are not just states with large urban centers, but more rural states as well, such as Nebraska and Missouri. Currently, Michigan's minimum wage is only $10.56 an hour. If HB 4001 passes in the Michigan Senate, it would not reach $15 for another four years. In comparison, the minimum wage schedule slated to go into effect this February will provide larger annual pay increases over the next several years and will get Michigan's minimum wage to almost $15 sooner. As the cost of living continues to rise and looming federal cuts begin to harm household budgets, we need to be doing more, not less, to ensure Michigan workers and families are able to afford basic necessities, such as housing, food, utilities and healthcare. This includes the 41% of Michigan households that are already struggling to make ends meet. Bringing tipped wages above the subminimum level is also critically important from both an economic security and equity standpoint. Contrary to what proponents of these bills have said, we only need to look to the seven states that have already established a single fair minimum wage to uncover strong evidence showing that tipped workers in these states have done as well as or better than tipped workers in states with subminimum tipped wages. And, given that Michigan currently has one of the widest gender wage gaps in the country and 74.3% of all tipped workers are women, the changes slated to take effect next month will go a long way in addressing ongoing pay inequities in our state, while ensuring all service industry workers receive more consistent wages that are not as contingent on the tips they make. This is especially important for tipped workers in smaller, rural communities where restaurants and bars may not have as large of a customer base as larger, urban communities. When workers are healthier, better paid and less stressed, businesses thrive, communities prosper and our state becomes a stronger and more equitable place for all. We hope to see the Michigan Supreme Court's ruling upheld for the sake of workers, families, public health, local economies and our state as a whole. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
