Obama issues executive order extending paid sick leave

BOSTON — President Obama rallied union workers Monday, announcing a new executive order that will require federal contractors to offer employees up to seven paid sick days a year, a move that the White House said could benefit more than 300,000 workers.

Obama unveiled the new directive during a Labor Day speech in Boston, as he continues a year-long effort to pressure Congress to approve legislation that would provide similar benefits for millions of private sector workers. The president highlighted a Massachusetts law, approved by voters in November, that provides employees with up to 40 hours of sick leave per year. That law went into effect in July.