California to provide food industry employees with two weeks paid leave

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced Thursday that the state is providing food industry workers impacted by the coronavirus two weeks of paid sick leave.

The order seeks to “fill the gap” left by the federal government’s stimulus bill, which guaranteed paid sick leave for businesses that employ fewer than 500 people and an exemption for businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

Those who work for large food industry companies in California now qualify for two weeks paid leave as well. 

“These workers on the front lines of this crisis are our unsung heroes for continuing to work to ensure that Californians have food on their tables during these challenging times, and we must do everything in our power to make sure they are taken care of at home and in the workplace” Newsom said in a statement.

“Making sure they have paid sick leave and added protections in their place of work is critical,” he said.

According to the order, workers in the food sector include farmworkers, agricultural workers and those working in grocery stores, fast food chains and delivery drivers. 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) announced this week they are pushing for universal paid sick leave to be included in the next stimulus bill among other protections for workers. The topic has been brought up by Democrats in negotiations for the next bill, though Republican leaders in the House and Senate have vocally opposed. 

“My counsel to them is to gag and vote for it anyway,” Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters last week, when asked about negotiations with Democrats.