Gov. Dannel Malloy took his policy of mandatory sick leave on the road to Washington Friday and made a point to criticize conservative policies as “national imperialism.”
Malloy said his mother’s job as a nurse inspired his desire to mandate paid sick leave, which passed in Connecticut this summer because of his lobbying efforts.
“It may not have been intuitive, but it was inherited,” Malloy said. “You don’t grow up in that household and ignore the significance of these things.”
Malloy attended a panel sponsored by the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank, and the National Partnership for Women & Families.
The panel, called “Toward a Healthier and Financially Secure Workforce: The National Momentum for Paid Sick Days Laws,” also included Seattle City Council Member Nick Licata and Washington restaurant owner Andy Shallal. John Podesta, president and CEO of CAP, moderated.
CAP broadcasted the event live on the internet.
Malloy addressed a few other issues during the panel, including the conservative proposal to block grant Medicaid funds to the states, which he called a “race to the bottom.”
He said the proposal is part of “the imperialization of the states” that says “above all else you must lower costs.”
He compared the ideas to the colonization of Asia and Africa by European imperial powers. He said both are done “so that you can access lower costs for the goods by controlling the society.”
Malloy also criticized people who support cutting taxes as opposing their own interests.
“People are supporting the arguments that are actually hurting them,” he said.
Malloy also said opposing taxes is “a lot easier to do.”
Malloy said he was not seen as a progressive in the Democratic primary against Ned Lamont, who he didn’t name.
Later, Malloy, showing his progressive credentials, said he also made it easier for workers “called independent contractors” in health care and day care to unionize. He also cited the implementation of the Earned Income Tax Credit in Connecticut.
Malloy said “almost universally” people who opposed the sick leave law already had paid sick days.
“You just have to knock these arguments down time after time after time,” he said.
“There’s never a right time to do this in the opponents’ view,” he said, explaining the opposition uses the economy “as the reason to delay to death.”
Malloy said a lot of opposition to paid sick leave in Connecticut came from the healthcare sector.
“Service workers by their very nature can’t leave,” Malloy said, explaining the economic argument against the policy “at its core doesn’t make any sense.”
He said abuse of paid sick leave would be unlikely, “particularly in a non-union setting.”
Malloy said mandatory paid sick days are both good public health policy and fair, arguments that trumped fear of abuse.
Shallal said fears of going out of business are “bogus.” “We haven’t seen any kind of abuse of the system whatsoever,” he said. “There’s going to be the one or two that abuse the system at one level.”
Podesta said 40 million working Americans and 80 percent of low-wage workers don’t have access to paid sick leave. He said mandatory sick leave is not only good policy, but good politics, too.
Malloy cited support from 50 percent of Republicans. “Don’t ignore the gender gap on this issue,” he said. “Women are overwhelmingly supportive.”
Leticia Mederos, chief of staff for Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd, asked if there was a need for a federal law requiring paid sick days.
“We clearly decided not to hold our breath,” Malloy said.
He added that ultimately there should be a federal law.
Licata said when there are enough state and local laws requiring paid sick days, compliance costs will force large companies will accept a federal requirement. He said there is interest in pursuing a law in Chicago.