AFSCME President Lee Saunders today praised New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s proposal to mandate two weeks of paid time off for workers in the city, calling it “true progress.”
“Mayor de Blasio’s plan is true progress in unrigging a system that for too long has benefitted the superrich and corporations,” Saunders said. “Paid personal time off is not just a step in the right direction toward workers’ rights but a real commitment to honoring the dignity of working people.”
Many workers, including AFSCME members, receive paid time off through agreements with their employers. But the mayor’s proposed legislation, announced today, would guarantee paid time off for an additional 500,000 workers in the city.