Moments ago, the state Senate in Connecticut passed the state’s paid sick days bill, putting an exciting conclusion to debate in the chamber. Connecticut is now poised to become the first state in the nation to establish a paid sick days standard.
In the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love, A Chance to Stand Up for Working Families
Philadelphia’s workers are hoping the city will soon take a critical step toward changing the way workplaces honor families.
Seniors in America Today: “Not a Pretty Picture”
Earlier this week, I was privileged to be a part of Volunteers of America’s third annual discussion on aging issues. I was on a panel with Arianna Huffington, Huffington Post co-founder and editor-in-chief; Mike King, National President and CEO of Volunteers of America, Inc.; and Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, AARP Executive Vice President of Multicultural Markets and Engagement. Our topic: How our nation’s public policies affect older Americans, especially women.
Paid Sick Days Campaigns Charge Forward
Around the country, paid sick days campaigns are making real progress.
It’s Time for a Family Friendly America
Mother’s Day. It’s a day when we shower the mothers in our lives with well-deserved compliments and gifts that show our appreciation. The heartfelt thanks, expressed in cards, flowers and chocolates, certainly have their place, but mothers today also need something much more lasting – policies that let them meet their own needs and those of their families.
Wage Discrimination and the Fight for Fair Pay
In a few months, the Supreme Court will decide if the women in the landmark Dukes v. Wal-Mart wage discrimination case will get their day in court to challenge unfair pay and promotions. Today, on Equal Pay Day, Senator Barbara Mikulski and Representative Rosa DeLauro will re-introduce the Paycheck Fairness Act – legislation that would establish workplace supports to help advance fair, discrimination-free workplaces. Both are big news in the fight for fair pay this year, and both represent critical ways to combat the wage discrimination that continues to hurt America’s women and their families.
Women and Families of Color Cannot Wait for Equal Pay
It’s Equal Pay Day. Today, we recognize that women have had to work nearly a quarter of the year to make the same amount as their male counterparts did last year. On average, women who work full time in the United States are still paid $10,622 less per year than full-time working men.
When Women Do Better, Families Do Better and the Nation Can Thrive
President Obama hit the mark during his recent Women’s History Month address on fair pay when he said that “achieving equal pay for equal work isn’t just a women’s issue. It’s a family issue.” At the National Partnership, we’ve been saying the same thing for decades: when women do better, families do better. It couldn’t be more true.
Paid Sick Days Standards Promote LGBT Health
As we near the end of LGBT Health Awareness Week — a time to focus on eliminating the health disparities and health care discrimination faced by the LGBT community — we cannot forget the role that access to health care plays in promoting the health and well-being of LGBT workers and their families.
A Historic Tuesday in the Fight for Fair Pay
It’s fitting that the landmark pay discrimination case, Wal-Mart v. Dukes, is being argued before the Supreme Court today, Tuesday, March 29th. Equal Pay Day, which marks how far into the year women must work to match the amount paid to men in the previous year, falls on a Tuesday.
Right Over Might: The Women of Wal-Mart Fight for Fair Pay
Tomorrow, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in Wal-Mart v. Dukes – the high profile class action case involving 1.6 million women who have worked at Wal-Mart.
The Affordable Care Act at One
This week is the first anniversary of the Affordable Care Act – the greatest advance for women’s health in a generation.
Anniversary a Time to Commit to a New Wave of Workplace Reforms
Locked doors. It’s one of the many reasons that 146 workers – mainly young immigrant women – died in a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City 100 years ago today. Even though great progress has been made since then, workers today are trapped by a different kind of locked door: public and workplace policies that too often are unfair and force workers to make impossible choices between their caregiving responsibilities and their economic security.
Keeping the Pressure on in Wisconsin
Today, we celebrate victory at the Wisconsin Court of Appeals: The court ruled unanimously to uphold Milwaukee’s paid sick days ordinance, which sets a minimum floor of paid sick days for workers in the city.
Paid Sick Days Committee Victories in Connecticut and Philadelphia
The push for paid sick days took a significant step forward this week as lawmakers in Connecticut, Illinois and Philadelphia held public hearings on the impact that establishing a paid sick days standard could have on working families, businesses and public health.
Too Big to Be Held Accountable?
The Women of Wal-Mart Deserve Their Day in Court to Challenge Unfair Pay
A Frightening Look at D.C.’s Restaurant Industry
Just in time for Valentine’s Day — the highest grossing day of the year for restaurants — the Restaurant Opportunities Center of Washington, D.C., (ROC-DC) has released a comprehensive analysis of workplace policies in the city’s restaurant industry.
San Francisco Paid Sick Days Law Is A Proven Success
A new study released today shows that San Francisco’s Paid Sick Leave Ordinance (PSLO) — the first citywide paid sick days standard in the country — has been proven a success.
On the FMLA Anniversary, Let’s Focus on the Unmet Needs of Working Families
18 years. That’s how long the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has been in place. It was the first bill President Clinton signed into law and it remains one of the proudest accomplishments of his presidency.
California Passes the Nation’s Paid Family Leave Test
More than eight years ago, California lawmakers showed a historic commitment to working families in their state by establishing the nation’s first paid family leave program. Earlier this month, six-and-a-half years after the program was implemented, the results of its test are in—and they send a compelling message to employers, workers and lawmakers throughout the country.
