Missed Women in the Halls? Come next Wed 4/14!

Thanks to all those 9to5 members who came to the Capitol yesterday - what a great turnout! We had such a great time, we're going again!

We were joined by new members Regina Holloway, Rochelle Payton, Carolyn Parker, Florence Roberts, Queen La Rosa Green, Janelle Williams, Alaina Reaves, and Gina Morrison, as well as 9to5 Atlanta board member Gloria Smith. Thank you for your participation and enthusiasm on the issues!

Yesterday the legislature was not in session and so many representatives were not at the Capitol, but they'll be back next week, and so will we! Women in the Halls has invited 9to5 members to join them again next Wednesday, April 14th for a chance to meet with your representatives.

If you couldn't make it yesterday, here's your chance! I'll be meeting up with any 9to5 members who want to participate, so just let me know if you'd like to go.

Information for next Wednesday, April 14th
8:30 -9:00am - arrive for registration, coffee and doughnuts
9:00-10:15am - Training on grassroots lobbying skills and talking points on bills
10:30-11:30am - Head to the Capitol to meet your representatives!

Coverdell Legislative Office Building 306 across from the Capitol building on Mitchell street.

Meet at IBEW building @ 8:15am for free parking and group transportation to the Capitol. 501 Pulliam St., Atlanta 30310 or take MARTA to the GA State stop. Call or e-mail for directions.

Let me know you're coming! E-mail jackie@9to5.org or call 404-222-0037.

Some highlights from our visit to the Capitol yesterday...

* 9to5 organizers Cindia Cameron and Shyria Coleman updated us on the Parent Protection Act and Minimum wage bills.
* Women in the Halls staff gave us tips on how to write to our legislators.
* We wrote letters to our House representatives to drop off at their offices, and even caught Rep. Rashad Taylor at his desk!
* We ended with a tour of the Capitol building and learned how to find our legislators when the House and Senate are in session.

Join 9to5 at the Capitol Wednesday April 7th!

Working Families Day at the Capitol, Wednesday April 7

Join us as we head to the Capitol to support two crucial bills for Georgia's working families, and learn how a bill becomes a law!

We will be asking our legislators to support:

Parent Protection Act - Unpaid time off for school visits for children and medical appointments for elderly parents.

Raise the Minimum Wage - Raise the state minimum wage and increase the tipped worker wage.

Date: Wednesday, April 7th

Time and Schedule:
8:30 -9:00am - Arrive for registration, coffee and doughnuts
9:00-10:15am - Training on grassroots lobbying skills and talking points on bills
10:30-11:30am - Tour the Capitol and contact your legislators!

Location: Coverdell Legislative Office Building, Room 306
18 Capitol Square, Atlanta 30334, located across the street from the Capitol on Mitchell Street

How to get there:

* Meet at IBEW building @ 8:15am for free parking and carpools to the Capitol
501 Pulliam St., Atlanta 30310
*Be sure to let us know if you're joining us for carpooling so we can plan for enough transportation - call or e-mail for directions and to RSVP - 404-222-0037 or jackie@9to5.org
or
* MARTA directions
-exit GA State MARTA stop
-head SW on Piedmont Ave. towards Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE
-Turn right at Capitol Square SW
-Turn right to stay on Capitol Square SW/ Mitchell Street
-Coverdell Office Building will be on your left

Let us know you're coming! RSVP to: jackie@9to5.org or call 404-222-0037

This event is sponsored by 9to5 Atlanta Working Women in coordination with the GA/Job Family Collaborative and the GA Minimum Wage Coalition.
For more information on the sponsors of this event visit - http://www.womeninthehalls.org/

Let's start talking about work/ family balance

When I think about my friend and 9to5 Atlanta Chapter member Leslie Hudson I recall a comment she made one day in reference to her then current employer. We were talking about the challenges we faced as single mothers. Leslie expressed frustration over the long hours she was forced to maintain at her job as a chef in a local restaurant. Leslie worked long hours to meet the financial needs of her household because she was paid an hourly wage. Leslie was often unable to take time off from work when she or her son was ill because she could not afford to lose the daily pay. When she was forced to take time off because her son was had an issue at school, her employer told her that her lifestyle did not work [for the employer] and she should consider finding new employment.

Leslie is one of many women in my personal life who have shared this type of experience with me. During my experience as an organizer with 9to5 Atlanta I have met many more women who share the experience of feeling marginalized by an employer because they struggle to balance family responsibilities with work obligations. Before I became an organizer at 9to5 my friends and I would complain about the lack of time available to focus on the needs of our families while pursuing our careers. At that time my friends and were not aware of the impact public policy had on our issue. We were complaining about the emotional and physical fatigue we were experiencing trying to “do it all”. We discussed the impact on our relationships with our partners, children and each other. We expressed anxiety over the upward mobility of our careers, and agonized over the possibility that a glass ceiling does exists. Could it be that our commitment to our families could be the very reason we were no longer viable candidates for the promotions and the professional accolades our childless peers seemed to be enjoying?

As an organizer I have become aware of the need to engage more working individuals with family care responsibilities in the dialog to craft workplace policies that provide access to family supportive benefits. During the month of February you can participate in a series of radio blogs on the subject by visitinghttp://www.fem2pt0.com/2010-wake-up-camp. You can also learn more about bringing family values to work by visiting www.9to5.org or by calling 404.222.0037. You do not have to feel isolated or guilty anymore. Do something about it today and join the movement to bring raises, rights and respect to the modern workplace.

To learn more about Leslie's story please click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkC9SEPnm48

The Good Side of the Opposite Side

I recently had an opportunity to put the lobby training provided by the Women in the Halls to work by writing a letter to the representative in my district. The second part to writing the letter was making the delivery. To my own surprise I was able to do more than deliver I was able to speak with my representative along with another activist. We were both able to share our views and be listened to by Representative Pat Dooley on getting House Bill 37 (The Parent Protection Act) passed.

Her advice was more than what I expected to receive. She discussed how the bill affected everyone and that it wasn’t for us to seek help from one political party. Our next steps are to visit a few republicans and express why this bill is so important. My representative provided us with the motivation to continue to rally for the Parent Protection Act.

-- by 9to5 member Jackie Lunsford

On March 4^th, the Georgia Minimum Wage Coalition was able to increase awareness of HB 290, raising the state minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to the federal level at the Women in the Halls/By the People lobby event and expanding coverage to more employees in the state. Sponsored by several progressive organizations, the event provided training as to how to talk to your legislator while the GA Minimum Wage Coalition supplied the information about increasing the state minimum wage.

We had a great turnout and thank all of our participants! Because we had constituents from several key districts in the Georgia, we were able to talk with Representatives Mike Coan (R-Dist. 101), Clay Cox (R- Dist. 102), Rahn Mayo (D- Dist. 91), Mary Margaret Oliver (D- Dist. 83), and Robbin Shipp (D- Dist. 58). Key to these meetings were our discussions with Rep. Coan, who heads the House Industrial Relations Committee. HB 290 is in his committee, but for the second straight year, he has not felt that the bill was important enough to bring to a committee hearing.

While Rep. Coan would not give us a direct answer about bringing HB 290 into a committee meeting before the end of the session on April 4^th, his neighboring colleague Rep. Cox expressed that he felt this was an issue that needs to be heard! Meanwhile, Representatives Mayo, Shipp, and Oliver also support the bill. All expressed, however, the need to hear from THEIR CONSTITUENTS to help bring the bill to a committee hearing. That means we must all be in contact with our Representatives, asking for their support of HB 290 and pressing Rep. Coan to bring this bill to a meeting THIS YEAR!

Georgians are being hit hard by unemployment and a lack of resources in these difficult economic times. Meanwhile, the state budget has been cut again. Rep. Coan only wants to hear bills that have to do with strengthening our economy without realizing how much HB 290 does impact our economy. Consumer spending makes up about 70% of our economy. Putting increased wages into the hands of workers puts them directly back into our local businesses and communities, strengthening both working Georgians and the state economy. This is a bill that his committee SHOULD be addressing.

Please call or write your Representatives and show support for HB 290!! They need to hear from us. They have asked us to contact them. Please visit www.georgialivingwage.org for more information about HB 290 and how to contact your legislators. Hard work deserves fair pay! We’d also like to thank the sponsor of the bill, Rep. Doug McKillip of Athens, for his continued support.

--Tracie

Stay tuned next week for updates on this past Wednesday's Parent Protection Act lobby day...

Want to be a Citizen Lobbyist?

Have you heard of Women in the Halls? This program, sponsored by Planned Parenthood Action Fund of Georgia, brings women to the capitol every week during the legislative session to tell their state Congresspeople about their concerns, needs, and ideas. Direct communication with your legislators is an important way to hold them accountable to the needs of Georgia's women and families.

Have you ever wanted to be a Citizen Lobbyist? 9to5 encourages all of our members to contact their legislators about working women's issues on a regular basis -- here's a chance to do it directly! The Women in the Halls program takes place every Wednesday at 9am during the legislative session (from now until the beginning of April) and anyone can join! Meet in room 306 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building, right across the street from the Capitol building on Mitchell Street. Training and information about lobbying will be provided on-site.

For more information about Women in the Halls, as well as contact information for the program coordinators, please visit the Women in the Halls website.


ALSO, PLEASE NOTE:
Through Women in the Halls, members of the Georgia Minimum Wage Coalition and the Georgia Job/Family Collaborative will be lobbying our legislators to raised the minimum wage and pass the Parent Protection Act!

Minimum Wage Day: Wednesday, March 4th
Parent Protection Act Day: Wednesday, March 11th

Stay tuned for more information about how you can get involved with 9to5's activities at these two lobby days, or contact our office for more information!