Last night, the Plainfield City Council again rejected an ordinance that would have made it possible for Plainfield workers to earn one hour of paid sick time for every thirty hours worked. Only a week ago, the Council voted 6-1 in favor of bringing the long-discussed ordinance – first rejected in March – to a vote last night.
Similar ordinances have passed in other cities, including Jersey City, Newark, and Perth Amboy, and a Rutgers study shows that a large majority of New Jerseyans support such measures despite Governor Chris Christie’s opposition. Plainfield would have been the tenth municipality to make such a move, which supporters believe would limit workplace illness and provide the most basic dignity to working families.
The ordinance’s yes votes included Councilors Rebecca Williams, Cory Storch, and Tracey Brown. Councilors Gloria Taylor, Vera Greaves, Diane Toliver, and Bridget Rivers all voted against the measure.
See the discussion below.
Plainfield View 
What is interesting about this decision to table the Paid Sick Leave Ordinance is that Vera Greaves told us she would co-sponsor the bill. Last week when she actually had an ounce of backbone and said she thought it should be passed Gloria Taylor said, “I can’t believe you are going to the other side.” Taylor, who asked to allow Lenny(I do not know his last name) to speak about how businesses were left out of the discussion, was rather surprised when I told her Lenny was asked to facilitate working with SID and then he never came back to another meeting.
SID has been involved in the process, and the council knows this. They did not like the $2,000 fine. We lowered the fine to a maximum of $750. Councilman Storch, who is on the SID board with Greaves and Taylor, voted not to table the ordinance last night. It is SID’s responsibility to contact the businesses and to facilitate a meeting. This is copied directly from their website:
The Plainfield Special Improvement District is here to serve you by linking the city with property owners and local business to enhance the image/perceptions of the city internally and externally. The SID conducts a number of special events every year, ranging from car shows to a block party to horse-and-wagon rides and sidewalk sales. The SID also publishes a periodic magazine, removes graffiti from commercial buildings, erected the illuminated flagpole in Plainwood Square park on South Avenue, and placed gateway signs at 11 locations throughout the district.
Why didn’t they put the ordinance in their magazine? Why didn’t they reach out to their members and set up a time to talk with us? Last night someone screamed “Everybody knows who I am.” I was sitting there thinking, “I have no idea who you are.”
The white elephant in the room is this clause:
Employers shall allow the agency reasonable access to records…
The people opposed clearly do not want city officials looking at their records. Why do you suppose that is? What do they have to hide? Could there be illegal dealings in Plainfield????
The person I am most ashamed of is Vera Greaves. She has no spine and could not hold to a conviction of any kind if the slightest pressure is put on her by her gal pal Taylor. Gloria Taylor does not want this town to move forward and has tried to play the game that she does, but votes everything down that could possibly hint at progress from the moment she got on the council. Although she is a disgrace she is not a surprise. Toliver seems to be nothing more than a puppet. She contradicts herself at every turn, but never fails to vote for what her puppet master wants. Then we have Rivers! Her hostility toward councilwoman Williams is so abundantly clear it is disturbing. She will allow anyone the opportunity to attack Williams and does nothing. I question if Rivers has ever read Roberts Rules. She runs council meetings like a playground for children where she and her friends get to say exactly what they want and she silences everyone else. She actually said last night that she does not acknowledge councilwoman Williams requests for “point of order” because she asks for it to frequently for her liking.
Her statement about paid sick leave when she met with us was that if we got more of the community to come out in support of the bill she would vote yes, even though she voted yes at the first reading and said publicly that “everyone should have sick pay.” Her behavior is shameful, and she knows it. You can see it on her face. As hard as she tries she cannot hide that she knows she is doing the wrong thing. If she was not in debt to certain forces in this town I believe she might actually do something beneficial. Unfortunately she is just an embarrassment we have to endure until the next election.
This is an embarrassment to say the least. I am ashamed to admit any acquaintance with some of these council members. Personal feelings are too involved and integrity is too scarce. The struggle is real but the fight is not over! “I’ll be back tomorrow”