Workers should never have to choose between their health or the health of their family and economic security. In the last two years, the Center for Popular Democracy and our partners have been instrumental in the passage of paid sick days legislation in both New York and New Jersey, and we’re now thrilled to report on a big state-level victory involving our partner organizations in Vermont!

For more than a decade, a coalition of community and labor organizations has worked on passing a statewide policy for paid sick days. In the spring of 2013, the Vermont Workers' Center (VWC), a partner of the Center for Popular Democracy, was part of an expanded effort with the coalition’s anchor organization, Voices for Vermont's Children (VVC), to demonstrate broad support, collecting stories from men and women facing the challenges of working without paid time, and sharing these stories with the press and with policymakers. Despite the broad public support, the bill only made it out of one committee before dying in the House of Representatives in the spring of 2014.

In 2015, James Haslam, who led the VWC for 15 years, joined a broad range of progressive leaders to found Rights & Democracy (RAD), a newly expanded grassroots organizing effort operating in both Vermont and New Hampshire. RAD was launched in partnership with CPD and the Working Families Party to lead efforts at mass organizing to win legislative fights like paid sick days and other issues to advance economic, social, and environmental justice. In 2015 a new paid sick day bill was introduced and RAD began leading the effort to win, along with VWC and a new Vermont chapter of the Main Street Alliance, which conducted major outreach to bring many new small businesses into the fold as supporters of reform.

RAD organizers and members knocked on thousands of doors all over the state inviting people to sign cards, share stories, and take photos to add their support to the cause. Within a matter of months, the collective work paid off: the Vermont House passed the bill in spring 2015, the Senate passed the bill in February 2016, and Governor Shumlin signed the bill on March 9. Effective January 1, 2017, employers must offer at least three paid sick days for full-time workers.

The VWC is continuing to organize and educate workers to ensure that basic workplace standards are enforced. And looking to build on the momentum of this hard-won victory for Vermont workers, RAD recently launched Raise Up Vermont, a new campaign to raise working standards through legislative reform.