How Dallas Voters Could Get a Chance to Require Private Companies to Offer Paid Sick Leave

A political push is on to give Dallas voters the chance to mandate that private employers provide sick leave to every employee they hire.At Dallas City Hall Friday, a coalition of labor and faith groups and political activists announced they had filed paperwork with the city to collect signatures for a sick-time ballot measure. The ordinance would be aimed primarily at helping low-wage workers who don't have such benefits given by major employers."Today, we declare that every worker in Dallas, every cashier, every janitor has the right to dignity at work and that every worker in Dallas has a right to take care of themselves and their family," said Brianna Brown, deputy director of the Texas Organizing Project.The effort is part of a larger push for paid sick time in Texas cities. If it passes, the ballot initiative is sure to run into opposition from state lawmakers and others. But it could add a Democratic political issue to the November ballot and circumvent a political fight among the City Council over the issue.Before voters get a say, the groups have 60 days -- the deadline is June 11 -- to collect 64,862 signatures of registered voters in Dallas. That's 10 percent of city voters.  Continue reading...