Milwaukee’s sick leave mandate will face a legal challenge. Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce president Tim Sheehy says the city’s new ordinance mandating paid sick leave oversteps the city’s authority and runs counter to some state statutes. “We also believe it is going to have a devastating, is having a devastating effect, on Milwaukee’s ability to attract and retain businesses. Sheehy says no company is going to want to locate in an environment where the government mandates the number of sick days. “They’re all questioning what comes next, is it vacation, what else is on the docket?” Sheehy says the city should have no role in mandating the number of sick days: “that should be left up to the employer and their negotiations with their employees.”
The ordinance, approved by some sixty eight percent of Milwaukee voters on November Fourth through a seldom used direct legislation process, has a ninety day period before it goes into effect. MMAC’s Board of Directors has notified the city of their intent to sue. The city is expected to deny the claim. “They’ll have no choice but to do that, since it came through this process of direct legislation,” says Sheehy. “When they do that it’s likely we would step forward and seek an injunction, so while this is decided by the court, this ordinance does not go into effect.”