Milwaukee’s sick leave law overturned

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The Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce on Friday won its sick leave lawsuit when a judge declared the city law unconstitutional.

The MMAC sued the city in December to get the law thrown out. Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Cooper on Friday decided (PDF) in favor of the MMAC.

Throughout the trial, Cooper said he anticipated his decision would be appealed by the losing party.

Steve Baas, MMAC director of government affairs, said he would wait to see if the city of Milwaukee or 9to5, National Association of Working Women, files an appeal. If one of the two does, the MMAC will defend Cooper’s decision, Baas said.

“This is a significant victory,” he said. “It is the ruling that now any future court would have to act affirmatively to overturn. The status quo, legally, on this issue has been set by this ruling.”

The law would have required 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 have received up to five sick days, and those working for larger companies would have accrued up to nine days.