The Duluth City Council is here to bring the public at large into the decision-making process of our city. Mayor Emily Larson announced that all city employees will have access to earned sick and safe time, and now many people are wondering if the city will implement a citywide policy. Several cities, counties and states across our nation have implemented this benefit. Minneapolis is the newest city to approve such a policy, and there already are discussions in the Legislature for a statewide policy.
This issue is incredibly impactful; 46 percent of Duluthians, or about 19,500 workers, lack access to paid sick or safe time. That is 19,500 neighbors who have to choose between going to work sick or not getting paid. This is a discussion that simply must include the entire city.Earned sick and safe time is an important topic that demands discussion and careful thought. Opponents to such a citywide policy need to know how earned sick and safe time will affect families. Advocates for such a policy need to know how this will affect businesses. The city has never done this before, so we would have to figure out how to enforce a citywide policy. There are fair questions that should be answered before any decision is made.This is critically important. As Mayor Larson stated, “Decisions made about us without us will fail us.”Councilor Elissa Hansen and I are bringing forth a resolution that sets up an informational task force that will gather data. That information will be presented to the community to seek input from citizens. Our task force will ensure that all members of our community have a voice on this expansive issue from the onset.The task force will conduct its work in three phases over 12 months. The first phase includes taking a community inventory of paid-sick-and-safe-time policies that are currently in Duluth. The task force also will study other cities to see how they enforce such policies. The second phase is intended to take a pulse of our community; information from the first phase will be presented throughout the city to gather public comments. Those comments will be condensed to create options. The third phase includes more public hearings to narrow down the options to more refined policy recommendations. As to the makeup of the 11-member task force, there will be an appointment process led by me as council president and ratified by the council. The goal is to get balanced information in order to make a responsible decision. Zack Filipovich is president of the Duluth City Council.The Duluth City Council is here to bring the public at large into the decision-making process of our city. Mayor Emily Larson announced that all city employees will have access to earned sick and safe time, and now many people are wondering if the city will implement a citywide policy. Several cities, counties and states across our nation have implemented this benefit. Minneapolis is the newest city to approve such a policy, and there already are discussions in the Legislature for a statewide policy.
This issue is incredibly impactful; 46 percent of Duluthians, or about 19,500 workers, lack access to paid sick or safe time. That is 19,500 neighbors who have to choose between going to work sick or not getting paid. This is a discussion that simply must include the entire city.Earned sick and safe time is an important topic that demands discussion and careful thought. Opponents to such a citywide policy need to know how earned sick and safe time will affect families. Advocates for such a policy need to know how this will affect businesses. The city has never done this before, so we would have to figure out how to enforce a citywide policy. There are fair questions that should be answered before any decision is made.This is critically important. As Mayor Larson stated, “Decisions made about us without us will fail us.”Councilor Elissa Hansen and I are bringing forth a resolution that sets up an informational task force that will gather data. That information will be presented to the community to seek input from citizens. Our task force will ensure that all members of our community have a voice on this expansive issue from the onset.The task force will conduct its work in three phases over 12 months. The first phase includes taking a community inventory of paid-sick-and-safe-time policies that are currently in Duluth. The task force also will study other cities to see how they enforce such policies. The second phase is intended to take a pulse of our community; information from the first phase will be presented throughout the city to gather public comments. Those comments will be condensed to create options. The third phase includes more public hearings to narrow down the options to more refined policy recommendations. As to the makeup of the 11-member task force, there will be an appointment process led by me as council president and ratified by the council. The goal is to get balanced information in order to make a responsible decision.Zack Filipovich is president of the Duluth City Council.
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