密歇根新闻广播 大州参议院或更高最低工资和病假

 

The state Legislature is moving forward with changes to a citizen initiative on paid sick leave. The measure to require employers to offer earned, paid sick time got enough signatures to make the November ballot¹.

But the Senate pre-empted that in an effort to scale it back before it becomes law.

Listen above for Stateside's conversation with Cheyna Roth.

It's a complete disappointment that the Senate has changed what would have been a very inclusive earned sick time policy to one that has very little benefit for the majority of people that need it, said Danielle Atkinson, chair of MI Time to Care. That's the group that drafted the initiative and collected the signatures for the ballot.

The bill would reduce the total number of hours of paid sick time an employer would have to offer. It would also require workers to put in more hours to earn time off, and it would exempt² employers with fewer than 50 employees.

Charles Owens is with the National Federation³ of Independent Business. He said unless the bill is passed, employers could have to slash⁴ worker benefits, pay, hours and jobs if changes are not made to the initiative.

Mandating⁵ costs to employers does not magically create the revenue to support the cost of those mandates⁶, he said.

Senate Bill 1175 now goes onto the state House for consideration.

Possible changes to minimum wage law in the works

The state's minimum wage might not reach 12 dollars an hour until 2030. That's if proposed changes to a recently adopted law finish making their way through the state Legislature. The state Senate passed the changes Wednesday.

The law the Legislature wants to change was originally a ballot initiative that it adopted a couple of months ago. It calls for a $12 an hour minimum wage eight years sooner than the bill now before the state House.

Supporters of the original law are frustrated⁷.

Lawrence Roehrig is president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. He said the Legislature is working too quickly to gut⁸ a law the people wanted.

This doesn't spell democracy in my mind, said Roehrig.

Part of the bill would also take the state back to a capped, lower wage for tipped workers. The current law eventually calls for a $12 an hour minimum wage for tipped workers.

In 1989, I was making $2.52 an hour, said 30-year restaurant industry worker, Tracy Pease. In the matter of 30 years, I've had a one dollar raise. Let that sink in.

But advocates of the changes say they are necessary to protect Michigan's economy.

We are doing what we believe is the best to keep Michigan's economic engine going, providing the way for employers and employees to make their agreements together, said Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof (R-West Olive).

A spokesperson for the House of Representatives says it'll start considering Senate Bill 1171 soon.

1 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

2 exempt   

adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者

参考例句：

• These goods are exempt from customs duties.这些货物免征关税。
• He is exempt from punishment about this thing.关于此事对他已免于处分。

3 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

4 slash   

vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩

参考例句：

• The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。
• Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。

5 mandating   

托管（mandate的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Current requirements mandating that committees keep minutes are too general. 目前对委员会要保持详细记录的指令性要求，还是太过一般化了。
• Mandating that workers who quit without permission forfeit a month's wages. 规定工人私自离岗将受到罚没一个月工资的处罚。

6 mandates   

托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
• While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。

7 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 gut   

n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏

参考例句：

• It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
• My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。