The Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to grant some security service contractors paid sick leave. The vote was 11-1.
The ordinance will apply to county contractors such as Metrorail and Miami International Airport workers.
Commissioner Oliver Gilbert was the official sponsor behind the legislation.
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"Amid the pandemic, implementation of the ordinance will reduce the number of employees who go to work sick, which is dangerous to other employees and the public they come face to face with," Commissioner Gilbert said.
"It will also prevent them from having to choose between caring for themselves and their families or foregoing income they can’t afford to lose. “I place value on them protecting their families and them protecting us," he said.
The ordinance would give county contracted workers one hour of earned paid sick leave for every 30 hours they work.
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Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava backed the ordinance and hopes to expand it.
"For sure all these people on the front lines, they’re taking risks on our behalf," Levine-Cava said. "It’s essential that we protect them and provide them with basic ability to take time off when they’re sick so they don’t go to work sick.”
County contracted employees have been working through the pandemic without paid sick days. That means if they need to take a day off because they’re sick, they don’t get paid.
