October 13, 2021
(Unceded Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam territories — Vancouver, BC) The BCFED kicked off a digital campaign today to urge the government to opt for 10 days of employer-paid sick leave when it unveils the details of the permanent program later this fall.
“Ten days of paid sick leave is what we need to ensure that workers don’t have to choose between going to work sick and paying their bills,” said BCFED President Laird Cronk. “It’s the baseline in most of the OECD, and the overwhelming preference among British Columbians. Public opinion research shows eight of every 10 people in the province support at least 10 sick days per year. And that support is consistent across ages, genders, regions and even partisan support.”
The campaign includes an open letter calling on the Minister of Labour, key cabinet ministers and local MLAs to back the government’s 10-day option, at futureforall.ca/10_days. The letter is available in multiple languages including English, Punjabi, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Tagalog.
A recent CCPA–SFU Labour Studies survey found that more than half of BC workers aged 25 to 65 get no paid sick leave — a figure that rises to 89 per cent of workers earning under $30,000 per year. “Low-wage workers are disproportionately women and racialized people. So we wanted to make a particular effort to ensure they can make their voices heard,” Cronk said.
The campaign will culminate in a Day of Action on Monday, October 25, with actions in Victoria, Surrey, and Burnaby.
