The MMAC has launched a campaign to denounce the concept of city-mandated sick leave requirements for Milwaukee businesses, the subject of a Nov. 4 referendum.
When they help pick our nation’s next president this November, residents of the City of Milwaukee also will be asked if small-business owners in the city should be required to by law provide a minimum number of sick days for their employees.
The question will be featured in a binding referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot.
A coalition led by 9to5 and the National Association of Working Women mounted a petition drive and gathered enough citizen signatures to place the referendum on the ballot. On July 30, the Milwaukee Common Council voted to approve putting the referendum on the ballot.
The law would require firms with fewer than 10 employees to provide at least five days of sick leave, and companies with 10 ore more would be required to approve at least nine days of sick leave.
The Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce (MMAC) believes that requiring companies to provide a set number of sick days will further discourage economic development in Milwaukee, and the organization is mounting a campaign to denounce the concept.
"This measure would create an additional layer of government mandates and regulation for all businesses in the city, making the region’s core a regulatory island both within the state and the nation," the MMAC said in blast e-mail to constituents Monday. "In addition, this measure would limit employers’ flexibility to tailor their individual compensation systems to the realities and desires of their businesses and their employees alike."
To join the MMAC’s opposition of the issue, click here.
