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Pelosi Statement on Paid Sick Leave Executive Order for Federal Contractors

September 7, 2015

Contact: Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement after President Obama announced an executive order requiring federal contractors to provide their employees up to seven days of paid sick leave per year, as well as new Department of Labor rules giving federal contract workers new tools to demand equal pay:

"Empowering hard-working families with the bigger paychecks and greater flexibility they need to succeed is vital for the future of our country. With the executive order and Department of Labor rules for federal contractors, President Obama is driving progress for hundreds of thousands of families, and helping to set a new standard for American employers.

"Paid sick leave is good for families, good for public health and good for the economy. No one should be forced to bring a stomach flu into the workplace, or face giving up a paycheck they can't afford to lose. No parent should be forced to send a sick child to school, because they can't take a day off to care for him or her. The commonsense flexibility of paid sick leave is invaluable to hard-working families, and a key pillar of House Democrats' When Women Succeed, America' Succeeds economic agenda for working families.

"All Americans deserve the tools to demand equal pay and to care for themselves and their families. As we celebrate this Labor Day, we rededicate ourselves to the work of empowering all America's working people to succeed. Congress must act to follow the President's lead, and expand these vital protections to all hard-working American families."

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