Working Families Story Bank - Add Your Voice to Support Paid Sick Days!

The Working Families Story Bank is a collection of story portraits of workers and employers across America. Presented by the Family Values at Work Consortium, a national network of 14 regional coalitions, this story bank provides policy makers with a fact checked story resource as they consider regulatory and private sector approaches to issues of concern to working families.

9to5 Chapters in Atlanta, Milwaukee, Denver all contributed stories to the Story Bank - you can just click on your state to listen to the audio portraits of workers telling their story. In Atlanta both of our Community Internship Program participants - Jerrett Johnson and Marilynn Winn - contributed stories for Georgia about what not having paid sick days meant for them, their children, and their parents.

And we are still collecting stories!

Wondering if you might have a story to contribute? Here are some questions to think about:

Have your ever needed paid sick days or family leave but your job didn't offer it?

* How did this affect you?
* Did you lose your job?
* How did it affect your family?
* Did you experience financial difficulty?
* Did your child miss school?
* Did it prevent you from caring for an elderly parent?
* Do you think all employees deserve paid sick days and paid family leave?

If you answered yes to any of these questions -- we want to hear about it! To share you story contact jackie@9to5.org or call 404-222-0037 to set up an appointment.

Atlanta Chapter Meets with U.S. DOL Director of Women's Bureau

Yesterday, Atlanta staff as well as 9to5 member Marilynn Winn had the chance to attend a roundtable discussion with Sara Manzano Diaz, the newly appointed Director of the Women's Bureau at the U.S. Department of Labor. In attendance were the directors and members of dozens of Atlanta and Georgia based organizations all who share the primary focus of promoting the welfare of women and girls in our state. Ms. Manzano Diaz told her personal story of growing up in the Bronx as a child of Puerto Rican immigrants, and the formative experience of gaining the opportunity to move into public housing after living with her entire family in single room occupancy housing.

The discussion revolved around finding concrete ways that Ms. Manzano can move her national agenda of promoting pay equity and work/life balance policies including the Healthy Families Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act, advancing women into higher paying and non-traditional jobs, and supporting the needs of women veterans.

Marilynn Winn reflects on the meeting and what it meant to her to be a part of a group of women working to help other women:

Today I had the opportunity to meet Sara Manzano Diaz, Director of the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau, along with many other powerful leading women who head many different organizations in Atlanta, and across Georgia. These women's goals are to help low-income women and families get out of poverty, and to educate, find resources, and encourage them to speak up and speak out about the problems that keep them bound in a life of poverty.

Being raised in poverty and still living in poverty now has given me the passion, courage, and drive to advocate for families like the family I came from. Every confererence and meeting I attend with these women working for change lets me know that help is out there, and if not it's is being talked about and planned. I have learned no matter where I came from, with the help of others, I can always do better. With each woman that spoke about what her organization offers I learned more about the tools to help myself rise out of poverty.

Get Ready for Change

"History, despite it's wrenching pain, can not be unlived, but if faced with courage need not be lived again"
-Maya Angelou

9to5 has power and courage to fight for issues that many women face day to day. 9to5 is your chance to make change. I have been an intern for 9to5 for a short time and have already witnessed the impact 9to5 is making. Here at 9to5 you immediately notice the power that is being used to address issues like sexual harassment, work/family balance and equal pay. 9to5 understands these issues and are on the front-line working for change. The dedication is amazing and you can be apart of this too by becoming a member.

Our history hows us that facing issues like paid sick leave and equal pay are challenging but with courage, 9to5 is making change on a local and national level.

If you want change, knowledge and support--then 9to5 is here for you! So many people want and need progress. 9to5 is changing the workplace and changing the world for our past, present and future. Be a part of the change we need and join 9to5 as a member today!

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