If you live in the City of Tacoma, we have good news! Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland has announced she will introduce a paid sick leave bill this Tuesday. 

What’s not good is that she negotiated provisions with corporate interests rather than focusing on protecting family and public health. The people of Tacoma need our help now to win a strong paid sick and safe leave law. 

Mayor Strickland is proposing a maximum of 24 hours – 3 days – of paid sick and safe leave per year, and workers could not carry over accrued leave into the next year. That means that in the peak of the flu season people will have no paid leave available. And 3 days just isn’t enough, especially for parents with young children who inevitably get sick several times throughout the year. The mayor’s proposal also doesn’t have strong enough protections from discipline for workers who use their accrued leave, limits application to restaurant workers, and doesn’t apply to people who work in the city for companies based elsewhere. 

You can help: If you live or work in Tacoma: 

1. Call Mayor Strickland at (253) 594-7848 with the message that Tacoma needs a strong sick leave law with 5 to 9 days of leave and protections for all workers. 

2. Come to City Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 3:00 Municipal Bldg North, 733 Market St, room 16, when the Council will begin discussing the paid sick days proposal. 

3. Call the City Council Member for your District and the two At-Large members and tell them that Tacoma needs a strong sick leave law with 5 to 9 days of leave and protections for all workers: 

  • Anders Ibsen - Position 1 (253) 591-5470, 
  • Robert Thoms - Position 2 (253) 591-5470, 
  • Lauren Walker - Position 3 (253) 591-5470, 
  • Marty Campbell - Position 4 (253) 591-5470, 
  • Joe Lonergan - Position 5 (253) 594-7848 
  • Victoria Woodards, Deputy Mayor - Position 6 (253) 591-5470, 
  • David Boe - At-large Position 7 (253) 594-7848 
  • Ryan Mello - At-large Position 8 (253) 591-5470, 

We need a strong show of support to help Tacoma win a meaningful paid sick and safe leave ordinance.