Member Alert! UPDATE on New Paid Sick Leave Ordinance in San Antonio
There is swift movement taking place regarding the San Antonio Paid Sick Leave Ordinance. We wish to provide you an update on the activity.
On Monday July 15th, a group of business associations and several businesses filed a lawsuit against San Antonio’s paid sick leave policy, using a legal argument that successfully blocked a similar ordinance in Austin last year.
The business associations sued the city of San Antonio on the basis that the ordinance violates Texas’ minimum-wage law by requiring employers to provide more benefits than those stipulated in the state statute.
On Friday, July 19th San Antonio city attorneys and those representing the plaintiffs filed a joint request to delay the start date of the paid sick leave until December 1st. Today a judge was to consider the motion to delay the ordinance's start date; instead the judge delayed today's hearing to Wednesday, July 24th.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Councilman Roberto Trevino of District 1, and Councilwoman Ana Sandoval of District 7 expressed their disapproval of the postponement through social media on Sunday, July 21st.
At the same time the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is siding in court with businesses that have sued the city of San Antonio to stop its paid sick leave ordinance from going into effect. Paxton argues that the Texas Constitution vests the authority solely with the Texas Legislature to establish a uniform policy on minimum compensation for workers, which would include standards for paid time off. Paxton said, “The Legislature set such policy by enacting the Texas Minimum Wage Act, which contains no requirements for employers to provide paid time off, including paid sick leave.”
As we are informed of the progress of the paid sick leave ordinance and this requested delay, the San Antonio Apartment Association will provide you with updates. If you have any questions or concerns about the Paid Sick Leave Ordinance, please contact members of our government relations team.
Hector Morales, Director of Government Relations
Email, (210) 692-7797
Allison Cohen, Manager of Government Relations
Email, (210) 692-7797)
If you would like to read the original article we posted on this ordinance, please click here.