Allegheny County joins Pittsburgh in passing law mandating paid sick leave

Allegheny County businesses with more than 25 employees will be required to provide paid sick leave under legislation county council approved Tuesday.

“I believe this is the right thing to do,” council President Pat Catena said before the measure passed by a 10-4 vote.

The bill was sent to county Executive Rich Fitzgerald’s desk. He has not indicated if he will sign it, but Tuesday’s vote is above the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto by Fitzgerald.

“We will review the final version of the bill passed by Council before making any determination,” Fitzgerald spokeswoman Amie Downs said.

Council members Thomas Baker, Cindy Kirk, Sam DeMarco and John Palmiere voted against the measure and Councilman Nick Futeles abstained because he is a small business owner who would be impacted by it.

Requiring paid sick leave would hurt small businesses, DeMarco said, and they would add to woes these businesses have faced for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“These folks are not in the position to pay their bills today,” DeMarco said.

Palmiere called the requirement a good idea, but said imposing the requirement in the midst of a pandemic is bad timing.

The legislation was sponsored by Catena, Olivia Bennett, Tom Duerr, Bethany Hallam and Anita Prizio. Council members Paul Zavarella, Robert Macey, Paul Klein, DeWitt Walton and Robert Palmosina also voted in favor of it.

“We cannot continue to shortchange public health,” Duerr said.

It was a very long process, but after nearly a year of deliberation, Allegheny County Council passed the Paid Sick Leave Ordinance by a 10-4-1 vote.

Proud to have been a cosponsor of this legislation, and to have worked with many of my colleagues to get this done.

— Tom Duerr (@TomDuerrPA) March 9, 2021

He called the requirement a “small, but important step” toward improving the health and welfare of county residents.

Allegheny County Paid Sick Leave passes County Council with a 2/3 VETO-PROOF MAJORITY!!!!!! ??????

— Bethany Hallam (@bethanyhallam) March 9, 2021

The legislation is similar to a law Pittsburgh Council passed in 2015 that also requires paid sick leave that went into effect in March 2020. Enacting the law wasn’t immediate because of litigation by the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association and several city business owners, but the state Supreme Court ruled the city law could stand.

The county ordinance was lauded by Service Employees International Union 32BJ.

“Paid sick days (legislation) is bigger than the worker,” Sam Williamson, Western PA District Director of 32BJ SEIU, said in a statement. “It’s about protecting the public, the workplace, and it benefits the employer and the employees knowing that performance and production will not halt due to illnesses.”