Seawytch
Information isnt Advocacy
What is needed is a national law that would require paid sick time, but with the current climate in DC that's not likely to happen anytime soon so states like NY and cities like SF are trying to pass laws or have passed laws at the local level.
When I was in sheet metal union, we negotiated for a contract that excluded paid leave altogether. No sick leave, no vacation leave. This was deliberate, as the consensus among the union members was that we'd rather have higher wages for when we did work, and manage our time off ourselves.
So, I'm wondering, under the sort of law you're advocating, would my union just have to suck it up and take lower wages (in exchange for leave they might, or might not use)? Or should they get special, ad-hoc exemptions?
Sure, an exemption would be cool...as long as those that wanted the sick leave could "opt in". I'm always in favor of more choices.