Railroaders Directly Benefit from New Paid Sick Leave Bill

All workers nationwide would be guaranteed paid sick leave under a new bill endorsed by SMART-TD.

Introduced by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Senator Bernie Sanders, the “Healthy Families Act” guarantees that every American worker is allotted up to seven paid sick days ever year. These can be used for various health needs, including recovering from illnesses, accessing preventative care, or helping a sick family member. Employers are allowed to use their existing sick leave policies if they exceed the new minimum standards. This is significant for SMART-TD’s freight rail members, especially considering that several Class I carriers still do not offer paid sick days.

“We are proud to support this fundamental policy upgrade and urge all lawmakers to support it,” said SMART-TD’s National Safety & Legislative Director Jared Cassity. “No one should have to choose between prioritizing their health or the security of their job. Full stop.”

A Game Changer for Our Freight Rail Members

With many freight rail members receiving few or no paid sick days, Cassity explains how this bill would directly benefit them.

“When we [railroaders] mark off due to sickness, that is counted against us through the attendance policy,” he explains. “By losing out on that day’s pay, it also puts us into disciplinary hearings and can lead to punishment up to and including termination.”

Industry aside, the Healthy Families Act is an important step forward for all workers.

“Regardless of whether they’re a union member or not, all workers in every industry deserve access to paid sick leave,” said Cassity. “It’s pitiful that American workers are not guaranteed a basic safety net to take care of themselves and their families when their health calls for it. Passing this legislation is the first step towards righting a fundamental wrong.”

Legislation Addresses an International Shortcoming

As of 2026, the United States is the only major country that does not guarantee paid time off for short-term illnesses or health needs, placing millions of workers in the difficult position of choosing whether to care for themselves and their loved ones or risk losing a paycheck.

Nearly 27 million workers nationwide lack any paid sick time at all, with low-income workers at the top of that list.

Nothing in federal law says that employers are required to provide their employees with paid sick time, a glaring problem that the sponsors are dedicated to correcting.

“Not only is it the right thing to do, but a lack of paid sick days hurts the American economy by reducing productivity, increasing the spread of illness which leads to higher healthcare costs, and causes financial strain on workers,” said Congresswoman DeLauro.

“It is not radical to ensure that every worker in America receive the paid sick days that they need,” added Senator Sanders. “What is radical is that we have corporations in America making billions in profits and denying paid leave to working moms and dads when their kids get sick.”