9to5 Signs on to Paid Family Leave

The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye, Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations

 Dear Chairman Inouye:

As part of a broad coalition of women’s, labor, social justice and work-and-family advocates, we express our strong support for establishing a State Paid Leave Fund within the Department of Labor.  

We know that the Committee is juggling many priorities, particularly in this economic crisis.  However, we believe that the State Paid Leave Fund is critical because it addresses the hard economic realities that working families are facing today.

The Subcommittee on Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations included $10 million to create the State Paid Leave Fund to offer competitive grants to help states establish paid leave programs, which provide benefits for workers who must take time off to care for a seriously ill child, spouse, or parent, or to bond with a newborn or recently adopted child.  We urge the Committee to retain and increase this level of funding.  As you know, President Obama’s budget originally proposed $50 million for the State Paid Leave Fund.  That amount would allow more states to launch new programs. 

When a personal or family medical crisis strikes, workers frequently have no choice but to take unpaid leave or quit their jobs.  The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides workers with unpaid, job-protected leave for up to 12 weeks a year to recover from their own serious illness, to care for a newborn, newly adopted or foster child, or to care for a seriously ill family member or injured servicemember in their family. 

 

However, approximately half of all workers are not covered by the FMLA and millions who are covered cannot afford to take advantage of this unpaid leave.  In fact, 78 percent of workers who need but do not take FMLA leave, state that they simply cannot afford time off without pay. Nearly one in ten leave-takers—and one in five in low-income families—told researchers they relied on public assistance during their leave.  While we ultimately need a national paid family leave program, state paid leave programs would strengthen economic security for working families, improve workplace stability for employers and their workers, relieve public assistance programs and promote better health outcomes for our communities.

 

All types of workers will benefit from the creation of paid family and medical leave programs.  Many workers will use the time provided in state programs to bond with a new child.  Paid family and medical leave also help the exponentially growing number of workers who are caring for older family members.  Thirty-five percent of workers, both women and men, report they have cared for an older relative in the past year.  Finally, paid family and medical leave programs help older workers.  Roughly half of Americans 65 years of age and older participate in the labor force; many require time away from work to care for their own health or the health of a family member.

 

California and New Jersey show that state paid leave programs are indeed possible.  Each of these states established family leave insurance programs by expanding their existing state Temporary Disability Insurance programs. The programs are employee-funded through small payroll premiums and offer workers up to six weeks of paid family leave insurance to care for a newborn or newly adopted child or to care for a seriously ill family member. 

 

California’s program was implemented in 2004 and over one million Californians have taken family leave through the program.  Since New Jersey’s program was implemented, in 2008, nearly 26,000 people have been able to take paid family leave. 

 

Washington State is uniquely positioned to become the first state without an existing Temporary Disability Insurance program to offer paid family leave insurance.  In 2007, Washington approved a paid leave program that when fully implemented will provide wage replacement for new parents.  In 2008, funds were appropriated for infrastructure development to administer the program, but funds were frozen after only a few months because of a recession-caused state budget crisis. Federal funding through the State Paid Leave Fund would provide a critical infrastructure investment. 

 

Several other states, including New York, Oregon, New Hampshire and Maine, are laying the groundwork for establishing paid leave programs and would be able to benefit from the State Paid Leave Fund. 

 

A Paid Leave Fund is critical to helping states establish and enhance their paid leave programs. States in the planning process of a paid leave program could use the funding for actuarial or other key studies on paid leave.  For states starting a paid leave program, the funding could cover costs for information technology, staffing and program operating budgets.  We also believe states should be able to access these funds to improve public education about their existing paid leave programs and to enhance those programs as well.  We believe this is a wise investment that will help prevent workers from being forced to choose between their own health or their family’s health—and their paycheck or even their job. 

 

When families are struggling and jobs are scarce, workers need paid family and medical leave.  Our nation’s working families should not have to risk their financial well-being to care for their health or a family member.  We appreciate your past support of policies that help working people take care of their responsibilities on the job and to their family members, and we thank you in advance for your continued support.

Sincerely,

National Partnership for Women & Families

A Better Balance:  The Work and Family Legal Center

AFL-CIO

American Association of University Women (AAUW)

American Federation of Government Employees

American Federation of Teachers

American Public Health Association

Americans for Democratic Action

Business and Professional Women’s Foundation

Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)

Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW)

Family Values @ Work Consortium

Jewish Labor Committee

Labor Project for Working Families

Laborers’ International Union (LIUNA)

MomsRising

National Association of Mothers’  Centers and its MOTHERS Initiative

National Council of Jewish Women

National Employment Law Project

National Family Caregivers Association

National Women’s Law Center

OWL - The Voice of Midlife and Older Women

United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries

United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)

Wider Opportunities for Women

9to5, National Association of Working Women

 

Arizona

Jewish Labor Committee, Arizona chapter

 

Arkansas

East Arkansas Area Agency on Aging

 

California

California Commission on the Status of Women

California Labor Federation

California Women’s Law Center

California Work and Family Coalition

Jewish Labor Committee, Western Region

Legal Aid Society –  Employment Law Center

9to5 Bay Area

9to5 Los Angeles

 

Colorado

Colorado Progressive Coalition

Interfaith Worker Justice Committee of Colorado

Latina Initiative

Project Wise

9to5 Colorado

 

Delaware

Delaware Aging Network

 

District of Columbia

DC Employment Justice Center

 

Georgia

9to5 Atlanta Working Women

 

Illinois

Women Employed

 

Iowa

Iowa AAUW

Iowa Commission on the Status of Women

Iowa Workforce Development

 

Maine

AAUW Maine

Consumers for Affordable Health Care Foundation

Equality Maine

Family Planning Association of Maine

Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health Center

Maine AFL-CIO

Maine Center for Economic Policy

Maine Centers for Women Work and Community

Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Maine Council of Senior Citizens – Alliance for Retired Americans

Maine Equal Justice Partners

Maine People’s Alliance

Maine Women’s Health Campaign

Maine’s Alliance for Children’s Care, Education and Support Services

National Council of Jewish Women, Southern Maine Section

Planned Parenthood of Northern New England

 

Massachusetts

Boston Women’s Commission

Crittenton Women’s Union

Eastern Mass OWL: Voice for Midlife and Older Women

Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS)

Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action

Massachusetts AFL-CIO

Massachusetts Paid Leave Coalition

New England Jewish Labor Committee

Somerville Commission for Women

Somerville Community Corporation (SCC)

Family Economic Initiative

 

Michigan

National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan State Public Affairs

 

Minnesota

Minnesota Paid Sick Days Coalition

 

Missouri

National Council of Jewish Women, Missouri State Public Affairs

 

New Hampshire

National Association of Social Workers – New Hampshire

New Hampshire Women’s Lobby and Alliance

New Hampshire Work and Family Sustainability Coalition

 

New Jersey

New Jersey Citizen Action

New Jersey Time to Care Coalition

 

New York

Center for Children’s Initiatives (formerly Child Care, Inc.)

NABET-CWA Local 16

New York State Paid Family Leave Coalition

New York State Women’s Inc.

New York Union Child Care Coalition

Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, Albany

Tompkins County Workers’  Center, Ithaca

UFCW Local 1500

 

North Carolina

Action for Children North Carolina

Durham Connect (a pre-birth home visit education program for low-income women)

NC State AFL-CIO

North Carolina Justice Center

MDC, Chapel Hill

Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina

Triangle OWL

 

Oregon

AAUW – Oregon

AFSCME Council 75

AFT – Oregon

Children First for Oregon

Communications Workers of America 7901

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon

Family Forward Oregon

The Mother PAC

NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon

Eleek, Inc. Lighting, Portland

Oregon AFL-CIO

Oregon Center for Public Policy

Oregon Consumer League

Oregon Hunger Task Force

Oregon Law Center

Oregon Public Health Association

Oregon State Council for Retired Citizens

Oregon Women’s Health and Wellness Alliance

Oregon Women’s Rights Coalition

Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon

SEIU 503

Time to Care for Oregon Families

United Seniors of Oregon

 

Pennsylvania

Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces

Maternity Care Coalition

PathWays PA

Philadelphia Coalition of Labor Union Women

Philadelphia NOW

Philadelphia Physicians for Social Responsibility

Women’s Law Project

 

Washington

Association of Flight Attendants – CWA, Local 27010

Association of Flight Attendants – CWA, Council 19, Seattle

Children’s Alliance

Economic Opportunity Institute

Legal Voice

Musicians Assn. of Seattle, AFM Local 76-493

Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans

Seattle Women’s Commission

SEIU Healthcare 775NW

Statewide Poverty Action Network

Washington CAN!

Washington State Family Leave Coalition

 

Wisconsin

9to5 Milwaukee

Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin, Inc.

Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Citizen Action of Wisconsin

Equality Wisconsin, Inc.

South Central Labor Federation of Wisconsin