Senate GOP Blocks Emergency Paid Sick Leave Bill

[Milchshake]

Ongoing In: Both Sides are actually not the same <part eleventy million>

Bailouts & tax breaks for big business, but when it comes to helping the 99% of us, the GOP could care less. Trump even floated a Corona Bailout for Shale Oil companies.



Senate GOP Blocks Emergency Paid Sick Leave Bill From Moving Forward

The legislation put forth by Democrats would guarantee 14 days of paid leave for workers affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
emocrats hoping to pass an emergency paid sick leave bill to deal with the fallout from the coronavirus were stymied by Senate Republicans on Wednesday.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) tried to speed the measure up for a vote on the Senate floor through a procedural maneuver, but an objection from Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) prevented the bill from bypassing the Republican-controlled health committee.

Murray noted that many people who don’t have paid leave through their jobs will inevitably miss work due to being sick or quarantined in the coming weeks. She argued that guaranteed paid leave was important both for public health and the good of the broader economy.

“For many of our workers ― restaurant workers, truck drivers, service industry workers ― they may not have an option to take a day off without losing their pay or losing their job,” Murray said. “That’s not a choice we should be asking anyone to make in the United States in the 21st century.”


Thanks Patty.

[Edge-]

“Employees are struggling, our employers are struggling, and it’s not a cure for the coronavirus to put a big new expensive federal mandate on employers who are struggling in the middle of this matter,” Alexander said.

I...don't actually disagree with him. A lot of these small businesses are already cost cutting and considering layoffs, a great many can't offer this kind of benefit given the downturn in their business.

As much as Alexander is a piece of shit, I'd be fine with this bill if the federal government footed the bill. And it should for something like this at this point.

And then we should work on legislation to make paid sick leave mandatory for all companies.

[Daelak]

Ongoing In: Both Sides are actually not the same <part eleventy million>

Bailouts & tax breaks for big business, but when it comes to helping the 99% of us, the GOP could care less. Trump even floated a Corona Bailout for Shale Oil companies.



Senate GOP Blocks Emergency Paid Sick Leave Bill From Moving Forward

The legislation put forth by Democrats would guarantee 14 days of paid leave for workers affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
emocrats hoping to pass an emergency paid sick leave bill to deal with the fallout from the coronavirus were stymied by Senate Republicans on Wednesday.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) tried to speed the measure up for a vote on the Senate floor through a procedural maneuver, but an objection from Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) prevented the bill from bypassing the Republican-controlled health committee.

Murray noted that many people who don’t have paid leave through their jobs will inevitably miss work due to being sick or quarantined in the coming weeks. She argued that guaranteed paid leave was important both for public health and the good of the broader economy.

“For many of our workers ― restaurant workers, truck drivers, service industry workers ― they may not have an option to take a day off without losing their pay or losing their job,” Murray said. “That’s not a choice we should be asking anyone to make in the United States in the 21st century.”


Thanks Patty.

Never, ever, ever take a Republicans word at face value. They are conmen, hypocrites, and only want to further erode democratic norms so they can consolidate their parts power even further.

[Sorshen]

What the fuck, lol. Did they read about these kinds of measures in Europe and decided it's 'commie shit' or something?

[cubby]

I...don't actually disagree with him. A lot of these small businesses are already cost cutting and considering layoffs, a great many can't offer this kind of benefit given the downturn in their business.

As much as Alexander is a piece of shit, I'd be fine with this bill if the federal government footed the bill. And it should for something like this at this point.

And then we should work on legislation to make paid sick leave mandatory for all companies.

I hate to say it, but yeah, the government should be footing this bill, not employers.

[Milchshake]

I hate to say it, but yeah, the government should be footing this bill, not employers.

That's a very neo-liberal take
In the battle between stopping mass death and defending capitalists, think of the poor widdle capitalists.

No thanks. If states like CA,NY, and WA can make paid sick leave mandatory, everyone should.

Coumo is now trying to expand NY's sick leave.... imagine being to the right of an establishment guy like Cuomo?

[Edge-]

In the battle between stopping mass death and defending capitalists, think of the poor widdle capitalists.

No thanks. If states like CA,NY, and WA can make paid sick leave mandatory, everyone should.

CA requires a minimum of 3 days, which small businesses can cover.

Don't get me wrong, fuck corporations that don't offer this kind of shit. But for a LOT of small businesses, especially with their books looking like hot garbage due to decreased business recently, this isn't sustainable.

It's not about "NeOLIBeraLs", it's about realizing that this is a terrible short-term solution that would fuck over small businesses while not impacting major corporations (the actual problem). We need longer term solutions to make emergency legislation like this unnecessary.

[minteK917]

Canada has already announced it would pay the bill for corona sick leave. So its unlikely the GOP wants to do that much communism.

[Breccia]

I posted on this already. I'll repeat: Alexander has a point. Until something of similar cost crosses his desk, such as an oil company bailout, and he signs it.

I set the price at $32 billion. Anything that, or higher, is the Hypocrisy Line.

[Grapemask]

The government needs to pay for it, but it's a bill that needs to get passed. They should be expediting funding for it to make sure that happens.

My job started sending out emails that we need to be out of the office for at least 14 days if we feel any symptoms of any sickness whatsoever. We have to take it out of our time off, and no extra days have been given. We get 18 days off per year to be used between either vacation or sick days. So far, people have been doing the expected thing and not taking off even though I know at least two of my fellow software engineers have severe colds ("HAHA CORONAVIRUS???" every time they cough, of course, MASTERS OF COMEDY).

We have better leave than most Americans and it still sucks. It's rough out there.

[Rogue Karl]

I think giving people a blanket two weeks off isn't something that businesses should be providing but the government itself. This bill doesn't seem thought out. If it's only 14 days that only takes care of maybe quarantine though with the virus taking up to 30 days it might not even do that never mind the illness.

[Zan15]

I think giving people a blanket two weeks off isn't something that businesses should be providing but the government itself. This bill doesn't seem thought out. If it's only 14 days that only takes care of maybe quarantine though with the virus taking up to 30 days it might not even do that never mind the illness.

it sure would be a good start, though I agree they should work on it a little more.

hell they should create a surcharge to go into effect in 2021 against all businesses to pay the final cost off, whatever it might end up being.

[Low Hanging Fruit]

I am fairly certain all the GOP is trying to do is funnel money to big companies in an attempt to stim the sell off.

"Look guys! Profit margins are still good.. they can just fire people when they get sick and keep the money!" -GOP everything.

[Rogue Karl]

it sure would be a good start, though I agree they should work on it a little more.

hell they should create a surcharge to go into effect in 2021 against all businesses to pay the final cost off, whatever it might end up being.

That sounds like a sure way to ensure only walmart survives.

[Zan15]

That sounds like a sure way to ensure only walmart survives.

How so?

The surcharge would be insignificant to most businesses since it would be paid off over time. Maybe teach Walmart a lesson to give better benefits and next time they won't have to pay the surcharge.

lol apple could pay the entire cost for the whole country, with just the extra cash on hand....as well as a whole lot of companies.

[Teleros]

I...don't actually disagree with him. A lot of these small businesses are already cost cutting and considering layoffs, a great many can't offer this kind of benefit given the downturn in their business.

Yup.

And then we should work on legislation to make paid sick leave mandatory for all companies.

*Goes back to read the previously quoted section...*

lol apple could pay the entire cost for the whole country, with just the extra cash on hand....as well as a whole lot of companies.

Apple's a multi-national (meaning its owners don't give two figs about purely local matters like paying for stuff, regardless of the country we're talking about), and their leadership would be in a hell of a lot of legal hot water if they did so. The bosses of these big firms have a legal responsibility to fight such ideas tooth and nail on behalf of the shareholders.

(As an aside, Apple has >$200bn just lying around... like, what's the point? Put that money to use or at least have a massive dividends party or something...)

[Zan15]

Apple's a multi-national (meaning its owners don't give two figs about purely local matters like paying for stuff, regardless of the country we're talking about), and their leadership would be in a hell of a lot of legal hot water if they did so. The bosses of these big firms have a legal responsibility to fight such ideas tooth and nail on behalf of the shareholders.

(As an aside, Apple has >$200bn just lying around... like, what's the point? Put that money to use or at least have a massive dividends party or something...)

they can't spend it fast enough they have sure tried with a lot of dividend plays. but they are very conservative, and maybe for the right reasons.


Multi national or not they would have to pay a surcharge for their employees in this country if they didn't allow for paid sick time

[Teleros]

Multi national or not they would have to pay a surcharge for their employees in this country if they didn't allow for paid sick time

Redefine them as independent contractors* if you can't get an exception for, uhm... let's call it "critical national security industries". Yeah, that'll play well with the Republicans in the Senate.

*Or get an exemption for part-time staff and then, well you know the rest.

My broader point though was just that you shouldn't expect Apple to be loyal, patriotic, or just plain charitable WRT paying the entire national bill. But yes, obviously a decently-written law would make them pay their employees etc.

[Zan15]

Redefine them as independent contractors* if you can't get an exception for, uhm... let's call it "critical national security industries". Yeah, that'll play well with the Republicans in the Senate.

*Or get an exemption for part-time staff and then, well you know the rest.

My broader point though was just that you shouldn't expect Apple to be loyal, patriotic, or just plain charitable WRT paying the entire national bill. But yes, obviously a decently-written law would make them pay their employees etc.

good luck the DOL would have a rolling good time giving apple billions in fines for those blatant qualifying of independent contractor status.

Bill would qualify part timers too.


I wouldn't expect apple to do it, I was stating that businesses have plenty of money outside of just Walmart to afford paying for this "bailout" of sick people.

[PACOX]

We desperately need sick leave in this country.

Sadly this is a too late scenario. It would just things to go further into chaos as thousands of people take time off in a panic, hell rest for the working class, without the actual need to. The country is not prepared logistically or economically for a swift and sudden exist of the workforce. Businesses are not prepared for something that would take a cultural shift in the way we view employment in the US.

The best solution would be for a government-backed healthcare system that would cover your expenses if you get sick. Maybe some sort of program that offered vouchers that would allow you to cover your living expenses while sick. If only we had such a thing...