YEO Frontline News 3rd Quarter, 2015 - 10th National Convening Recap | Page 4

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PITTSBURGH, PA – YEO Corey O’Connor’s bill to
provide paid sick leave to all workers within city limits passed
with the overwhelming support of his colleagues on the
council, including YEOs Natalia Rudiak, a cosponsor, and
Dan Gilman, who voted in affirmation. The law, cast as a
public health measure, will positively impact workers forced
to choose between going to work sick and losing wages. Staff
at companies with over 15 employees will earn 40 hours of
paid sick leave, while those at companies with fewer than
15 will accrue 24 hours. Pittsburgh joins 19 other cities, one
county, and four states in passing such a law. Supporters
dismissed the idea of waiting for state and federal laws to
remedy the situation. As Councilwoman Rudiak noted, “If
we wait for a federal national sick days law to pass, we’ll be
waiting decades.”
DETROIT, MI – Municipal officials are drafting an
ordinance, which they plan to be ready in the next six to nine
months, that would offer an ID card to all city residents.
A cohort of area YEOs, including councilmembers Mary
Sheffield, Raquel Castañeda-López, and state Rep.
Stephanie Chang, want to expand access to basic municipal
services, some of which leave out the homeless, immigrants,
and others who lack the requisite paperwork. The program,
which could benefit almost one third of the city’s population,
would allow access to libraries, bank accounts, and other

YEO F r o n t l i n e N e w s • Q3 2015 • PG 4

resources that demand a government-issued ID card. The
program would not inquire into immigration status, while
homeless applicants, who would receive a free card, could use
a shelter’s address as their own.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Supervisor Jane Kim is
praising a bond measure proposal to fund affordable housing
construction
in one of the
country’s most
expensive
housing markets.
The Board of
Supervisors
agreed last
Wednesday to
the terms of
the plan, which
would devote
$310 million to
affordable housing acquisition and construction financing.
The measure would also let the city borrow more from the
San Francisco Housing Trust Fund, which would provide
$25 million more to make housing more accessible for all.
Residents will vote on the proposal in November.

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All photos © Creative Commons via Flickr

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