Family Values at Work - A Multi-State Consortium

North Carolina

North Carolina's Paid Sick Days Coalition is a broad and diverse coalition of more than 45 organizations representing labor, seniors, children, women, low-wage workers, and public health advocates from across the state. Since 2007, the coalition has been educating the public and policymakers about a bill before the N.C. General Assembly that would guarantee all workers in North Carolina a minimum number of sick and safe days to care for themselves or a sick family member. The North Carolina Justice Center, which has a long history of advancing workers' rights as part of its anti-poverty mission, founded and coordinates the coalition.

As a result of the Paid Sick Days Coalition's sustained work over the past two years, North Carolina has now become the first Southern state to hold legislative hearings in both the House and Senate on paid sick days legislation. We've continued to grow our coalition and build broad statewide support for paid sick days through organizing and strategic communications. During the spring of 2009, coalition members traveled around the state of North Carolina holding Town Hall meetings on paid sick days and conducting popular education trainings with local community-based organizations and their constituents. Our strategic communications outreach has paid off in producing sustained media coverage of paid sick days, including more than 30 news stories during the heat of the legislative session that took place in the spring and summer of 2009.

Recently, the N.C. General Assembly responded to the coalition's calls for an in-depth study of and commitment to reforming North Carolina's workplaces policie by creating the Joint Select Committee on Work & Family Balance. The study commission will meet through February 2011 and will be an instrumental partner in continuing to advance paid sick days in North Carolina as well as broaden our focus to a larger Work & Family Balance agenda.

Contact:

For more information about the Coalition, visit www.ncsickdays.org or contact Louisa Warren, louisa@ncjustice.org or (919) 856-2183.

To learn more about the North Carolina Justice Center, visit www.ncjustice.org.