COVID-19 In Pittsburgh: City Council To Take In-Depth Look At Mayor Peduto's Pandemic Sick Leave Proposal
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh City Council will be meeting later today to discuss COVID-19 sick leave, a proposal from Mayor Bill Peduto.
City Council members will have the chance to ask Mayor Peduto's Chief of Staff Dan Gilman questions about it, and also address some legal concerns.
The legislation would give workers additional time off if they are diagnosed with or exposed to the coronavirus.
The mayor's office says implementing COVID-19 sick leave could give employees of businesses with 50 or more workers up to 112 hours of paid sick leave.
This sick leave would be handled separately from the city's existing paid sick day requirements and would stay in place until the city's emergency declaration, which has been in place since March, is lifted.
RELATED LINKS:
- COVID-19 In Pittsburgh: Mayor Bill Peduto Proposes Pandemic Sick Leave
- Gov. Tom Wolf Urges Lawmakers To Pass Paid Sick Leave Legislation
According to our news partners at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, City Councilman Corey O'Connor says he wants assurance from the mayor's law department that amending the ordinance would not open the city up to further legal challenges. He estimates the local law protects 40,000 workers.
The federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which requires certain employers to give employees paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for COVID-19 related reasons, is set to expire at the end of the month.
The meeting is set to begin at 6 p.m.
