MMAC to sue Milwaukee over sick leave

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The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce’s directors Monday unanimously chose to sue the city of Milwaukee to stop a sick-leave ordinance from taking effect.

The ordinance generated more backlash from association members than any other issue in recent history, and the association will ask members to contribute money to pay for the lawsuit, said Julie Granger, MMAC vice president of communications.

“There has just been complete outpouring of, I don’t want to use the word anger, but concern of how they’re going to implement it and the cost to implement it,” she said.

The city is legally required to defend the lawsuit in court, but 9to5, National Association of Working Women, is ready to file amicus briefs to support the city in a lawsuit, said Amy Stear, 9to5 Wisconsin director. She said the MMAC’s decision disregards Milwaukee residents who voted 130,562-60,796 Nov. 4 to approve the ordinance in a binding referendum.

“Essentially,” Stear said, “they’re saying that they don’t care what’s important to us.”

The ordinance requires employees working in Milwaukee to receive up to one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked in the city. Employees of companies with fewer than 10 workers would get up to five sick days, and those working for larger companies would accrue up to nine days.

The lawsuit will try to keep the city from implementing the rules until a court decides if it is legal, Granger said. If there are appeals of the original circuit court decision, the association wants the injunction to remain in place, she said.

The city is assembling a commission to write the administrative rules to enforce the sick-leave ordinance, said Eileen Force, spokeswoman for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. That process will continue so the rules are ready to take effect in February.

The MMAC is drafting its lawsuit, but won’t file it in court until the Milwaukee Common Council denies a claim the MMAC filed to challenge the sick-leave law, Granger said.

MMAC press release (PDF)