A petition to get paid sick leave for workers in Dallas on the November ballot has fallen short by fewer than 1,000 signatures, Dallas city officials say.
A letter obtained by NBC 5 from Dallas City Secretary Bilierae Johnson said the number of signatures on the petition for the Proposed Earned Sick Leave Ordinance was 871 signatures short of the 53,756 needed.
The grassroots initiative, organized by Working Texans for Paid Sick Time, said they submitted more than 120,000 signatures last month.
“On June 11, more than 120,000 people made clear that Dallas working families should have the right to earn paid sick time. We have some concerns about how the validation process was conducted, we spoke to the City Secretary this morning and have requested additional information for review. The City of Dallas ignores these voices to the determinant of Dallas families, local businesses, and our economy. We are considering all available options, including legal action, to ensure the voices of working people in Dallas are heard," Working Texans said in a prepared statement.
City officials said only 52,885 of the signatures from Dallas, Collin and Denton counties were validated.
An estimated 300,000 workers in Dallas, about 41 percent of the workforce, do not get sick pay. Those working in retail, construction, hospitality, and food and service industry are among the most affected employees, NBC 5 reported last month.
If the group had obtained enough signatures, the measure requiring such by Dallas business owners would have been placed on the November ballot.
It is not clear if organizers will petition again to get the measure on the ballot.
