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Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, speaks in favor of Senate Bill 454 on the Senate floor Wednesday, June 10, 2015. SB 454 would establish a statewide sick leave policy requiring employers with six or more workers to provide up to five paid days off a year.

(George Rede/Staff)

Updated: Senate Democrats flex their muscle in passing Oregon paid sick days bill, sending measure to House

The state Senate, on a 17-13 vote, passed a hotly contested bill Wednesday requiring Oregon employers to provide up to five paid sick days annually and sent the measure to the House for further action.

If the bill is approved by the House and signed by Gov. Kate Brown, Oregon would become the fourth state with a statewide paid sick leave law, joining California, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Labor and community activists, joined by several Democratic lawmakers, pressed for a statewide law after Portland and Eugene passed their own city ordinances in 2013 and 2014.

Supporters cast the proposal as an equity issue aimed at providing greater security for workers, especially those who earn the least, while opponents characterized it as a financial and administrative burden on employers, especially small businesses, farmers and ranchers.

An estimated 47 percent of private sector workers and 80 percent of low-income workers in Oregon have no paid sick days, according to the Everybody Benefits Coalition.

Senate Bill 454 would take effect Jan. 1, 2016, and would apply statewide to all businesses with 10 or more employees, except in Portland. Companies with six or more employees are subject to the city's paid sick leave law, which took effect Jan. 1, 2014.

Workers would accrue one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to five days a year, the same as in Portland. Employees could take time off to care for themselves or a family member or donate it to a co-worker.

"This is a badly needed program for all Oregonians," said Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, who was a key player in negotiations with Republicans and fellow Democrats. "This is a bill whose time has come."

The bill would appropriate $4.4 million in 2015-17 to the Bureau of Labor and Industries and other state agencies to implement the bill. BOLI would hire temporary staff to answer questions and assist employers, with a one-year grace period from penalties to encourage compliance, Dembrow said.

Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, D-Beaverton, a co-sponsor of the bill, said the legislation would result in healthier work environments for both employees and the public.

The bill passed on a near party-line vote, with Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, joining the 12 Republicans in opposition.

-- George Rede

grede@oregonian.com

503-294-4004

@georgerede