OUR IMPACT | Work Strong Austin

In February of 2018, the Austin City Council voted favorably to adopt a Paid Sick Leave Ordinance, making it the first city in the South to do so.

A number of our young advocates were involved in the “Work Strong Austin Taskforce” that met over the course of many weeks to formulate a policy that worked for businesses and workers alike. And they were there on the night of the scheduled vote, armed with their personal stories and testifying before the City Council, urging their favorable vote on the ordinance.

#Changemakers like Katie who talked about her autoimmune disorder and how her single mom had to miss work when Katie was hospitalized on numerous occasions; like Claudia, an undocumented immigrant, who has suffered from mental distress while the threat of deportation hangs over her and other Dreamers like her; and like Ashley who spoke of our moral obligation to protect individuals from threat of job loss when they need to take time off to deal with an illness.

These personal stories, joined with the stories of so many others who spoke that night, weren’t just a part of why the ordinance passed last Thursday; they were THE reason that the ordinance passed. And because of the courage of the people gathered that evening and their willingness to share deeply personal stories about their own health challenges, we now have a model ordinance in Austin that will protect the 233,000 workers who currently lack those protections. And we’ve set the bar for other cities to follow.