Activists pushing for a bill that would force most city businesses to offer paid sick days to their workers are worried sick themselves that the City Council will copy a weaker Connecticut law in a compromise move, The Post has learned.
In fact, the Connecticut law was passed last year with the backing of the same group pushing for the more aggressive city legislation: the Working Families Party.
The WFP and its paid-sick coalition are fighting for a much more sweeping bill in the city — one on which Democratic council Speaker Christine Quinn refuses to allow her members to vote, although a majority of them supports it.
“Everyone hopes she does not pass Connecticut’s bill because it’s weak. Everyone has said that at some point or another,” said one source with knowledge of the issue.
Bill sponsor Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan), who said Quinn has yet to approach her about a compromise, balked at the Connecticut measure.
“That would not be good for New York, because we have so many small businesses,” she said.
Connecticut’s bill exempts businesses with fewer than 50 workers, nonprofits and manufacturing companies.
By comparison, the council bill is currently being amended to only exclude companies with fewer than five workers. Nonprofits and manufacturing employers would be included.
Connecticut’s bill requires companies offer 40 hours — or five days — of paid sick time; Brewer’s bill requires nine days for companies with more than 20 employees and five days for businesses with five to 19 workers.
Quinn, who is courting the support of the business community for her likely mayoral bid next year, reiterated her opposition to the bill yesterday, citing its potential to hurt job growth in a bad economy.
Meanwhile, the coalition held a rally yesterday on the steps of City Hall highlighting the death of Brooklyn grocery worker Felix Trinidad, who they said could not get an early cancer screening because his company would not allow him a paid day off.