Demonstrators demand paid sick days for all workers at Halifax Labour Day rally

Demonstrators took to the streets of Halifax on Monday to demand paid sick days for all workers in Nova Scotia.

Hailie Tattrie, an organizer with Fight for $15 and Fairness Halifax, says they're fighting for 10 paid sick days a year.

"We believe that everybody deserves 10 paid sick days. If you're sick, you're sick. You can't go into work," said Tattrie.

"Folks shouldn't have to be deciding about paying bills or going into work sick, and I think that's especially relevant now during a global pandemic."

The Nova Scotia government doesn't require employers to give their staff paid sick leave, so sick leaves are often based on contracts or collective agreements.

Tattrie said that leaves a gap for people like grocery store workers or those in the service industry, who would need to miss a day's wages if they call in sick.

She noted that many of these non-unionized, low-wage workers have been working throughout the pandemic to provide essential services to the public.

"These essential workers, they stepped up for us during the pandemic, and now it's time for us to step up for them and fight for what they deserve," said Tattrie.

While COVID-19 "truly highlighted this need" for paid sick days, Tattrie said it's a fight that needs to last beyond the pandemic.

She said the 10 days should also cover caregivers, such as parents who need to stay home and care for sick children.

Federal program 'clunky'

Mark Culligan, another organizer with Fight for $15, said they're calling specifically for employer-paid sick days, not the new sick leave benefit recently announced by the federal government.

Culligan described the Canada recovery sickness benefit, which begins at the end of the month, as "clunky." It requires workers to miss 60 per cent of their scheduled work in the week that they claim the benefit, and it only covers workers who must miss work for reasons related to COVID-19.

"The other big problem with the program is that it's temporary. It's only going to last for a year," said Culligan. "We think this is a long-term problem that requires a permanent solution."

He said mandating paid sick days is "the only way that we're going to prevent workers from showing up sick."

The rally also called for better protections for migrant workers. Since the pandemic began, many migrant workers in Canada have gotten sick from COVID-19 and at least three have died.

Stacey Gomez, a member of the Halifax-based group No One Is Illegal, said some do not qualify for subsidies like the federal government's emergency response benefit. 

"This is what inequality looks like," she said.

Gomez called for permanent immigration status for all migrant workers.

NDP plans to introduce legislation

Kendra Coombes, the MLA for Cape Breton Centre and NDP labour spokesperson, said people without paid sick leave are forced to choose between staying home and missing a day's worth of pay, or going to work sick and potentially spreading an illness.

"That is an unfair, unattainable position that we put workers in every day," she said. "And it is necessary that it is enshrined in the labour codes to ensure all workers have that right."

The NDP plans to introduce legislation for 10 paid sick leave days this fall.

"COVID-19 is not [the only] issue," said Coombes. "We're going to have influenzas, and potentially other pandemics, so we need to be ready, and we need to be allowing our workers to be safe."

Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil has previously said that he doesn't believe government should impose paid sick days.

"I'll let the employers and their representatives come to determine what benefits they want," he said in early March.

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