H1N1 and Paid Leave

by Marc Freedman

The SEIU’s broadside, clichéd attack on the Chamber’s position regarding legislation creating a new mandate for paid leave related to the H1N1 health crisis is missing just one important element: facts. The U.S. Chamber has not opposed the current proposed legislation in this area. If the SEIU had taken the time to read the multi-industry letter sent to the House Education and Labor Committee this week expressing opposition to HR 3991, as written, the union might have noticed that the Chamber was NOT on that letter. It might also have noticed the very extensive list of problems identified with that bill.

Instead the SEIU just relied on an erroneous piece posted on The Huffington Post which said the U.S. Chamber had joined other business groups in opposing this bill. Anyone who takes The Huffington Post as reliable reporting when it comes to the Chamber’s positions cannot be taken seriously.

Indeed, the U.S. Chamber recognizes that this issue has many dimensions and is exploring whether legislation in this area would be helpful to employees without overburdening employers and limiting their options to provide benefits tailored to their workplace.

Furthermore, the SEIU uses inaccurate data about how many employees currently receive paid leave that could be used for H1N1 purposes. A February 2009 report by economists from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, published in the Monthly Labor Review, provides important new information and insights that are critical to the debate about whether a federal mandate to require paid sick leave is needed. In that report, the BLS economists found that when looking at leave benefits provided by employers in combination – that is, not just paid sick leave, but including other types of paid leave (such as personal leave) for which employees can use the leave for their illness or to visit a doctor -- 83 percent of workers in private industry have access to illness leave. And this number does not even account for unofficial leave where employers work with their employees to make sure they have the appropriate leave they need.

Once again, the SEIU is merely demagoging on a sensitive issue and using the U.S. Chamber as its favorite piñata. No wonder that the public’s support for unions and their agenda has slipped to historic lows.

Comments

[Colleen P. Williams]

I have to say, the author of this article is no less guilty than the SEIU.
One of the biggest reasons union support has slipped is the same reason that most of the sheeple in America do not understand the Constitution anymore.
Lack of education both in current events, and in a historical sense.
Due to the current exploitation of the worker, globally, unions are needed more than ever. Globally.