Moms Lobby Isakson for Healtcare Reform

Yesterday morning Caitlin and I met up with the online organizing group MomsRising.org at Senator Isakson's district office to join them in their effort to lobby senators across the nation for healthcare reform. While it was certainly a novel experience to sit in the plush conference room of a Congressional office and watch the national healthcare debate played out between the well-informed women of MomsRising and one of the Senator's top legislative aides, what I will remember most about the meeting is stories the mothers shared.

Each of the four women arrived on a mission to make sure the Senator heard the story of how the healthcare system had failed their family. As soon as we sat down their heartbreaking stories began pouring out. Michelle Law, whose son has cerebral palsy among a host of other medical problems, explained that even when her son is covered by both private insurance and Medicaid, their family goes into tens of thousands of dollars of debt each year to pay for the cost of simply keeping him alive. Kathie McClure, who started the non-profit votehealthcare.org, told how her daughter can never receive coverage from a private insurer because her Type 1 diabetes is considered a pre-exisiting condition. Another mother, Barbara Souter, spent two years googling her daughters symptoms to try and diagnose her disease as the family continued to pay out of pocket for every test and procedure she underwent.

These mothers not only spoke of the failing system from the perspective of personal experience, but with a formidable amount of knowledge of the ins and outs of healthcare legislation, state and federal policies, and insurance procedure. Their resounding message was ultimately one of universal coverage and care for all. Caitlin and I both left in awe of the commitment these mothers have made to being engaged in the political process (Barbara told us she had both Georgia senators on speed dial!) I am both grateful that they are making sure the voices of working families and mothers are being heard in this debate, and hopeful that their efforts will make a difference.

Don't know much about Sotomayor?

According to a CBS poll conducted over the weekend, 62% of Americans have yet to form an opinion of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, many because they just don't know that much about her. Are you part of that 62%??

Today, Sotomayor's confirmation hearings began in the Senate -- and your senator needs to hear from you! If you feel like you don't know enough about the nominee to form an opinion, start reading, or watch the evening news, or start talking to your friends about her. Your senators have been elected to represent you, so speak up!

This 4th of July, Support the Healthy Families Act!

For most Americans, the Fourth of July is a day for fireworks, concerts, parades and all manner of patriotic displays. It’s as American as barbeque ribs and apple pie, reminding us of freedom, justice, community, hard work and family values; the shared ideals that define us as a nation.

We don’t need a holiday or special celebration to honor working families. But we all occasionally need time off from work to share the responsibility for our family’s health. Still, the Fourth of July is a perfect time to contact our leaders in Congress and ask that they celebrate our national values of family and work by supporting the Healthy Families Act (HFA).

On May 18, Rep Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced the Healthy Families Act to the 111th Congress. HFA is designed to allow Americans to earn paid sick time so that they can take care of their own and their family’s health needs. Care-giving responsibilities can be one of the biggest hurdles working families face in their quest to realize the American dream of economic self-sufficiency. But nearly 60 million American workers lack a single paid sick day in which to care for themselves when occasional illness strikes. Nearly 100 million lack a paid sick day to care for an ill child.

For these Americans, the lack of this basic labor standard presents unconscionable choices: whether to go to stay home and get better or go to work to keep from losing a job. On this Fourth of July holiday – and beyond -- there is lots of work to do to make work, well, work. Click here to learn more about the Healthy Families Act. Share the information with your family, friends, co-workers, community members. Urge them to take action today by contacting their members of Congress to insure that they support the Healthy Families Act.

While we’re waving our flag this July 4th, let’s really honor all Americans by moving toward passage of the Healthy Families Act.

Trying times call for the Healthy Families Act

By Linda Meric
WeNews correspondent

Three cities have paid sick leave laws and many states are moving in that direction. With millions of workers lacking paid sick leave or care-taking time, Linda Meric says federal lawmakers need to act now.

Editor's Note: The following is a commentary. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily the views of Women's eNews.



(WOMENSENEWS)--These are challenging times for America's families. One in 4 Americans, or about 23 percent of those surveyed in a recent Gallup Poll, report that they are "very worried" about keeping up with their monthly bills over the next six months. That's up from 19 percent a year ago and 15 percent in March 2007.

And while many of us are working harder than ever to keep pace under the current economic pressure, workplace duties are not the only duties we have.

Family responsibilities await us at home. That is why we must pass the Healthy Families Act, introduced in the 111th Congress on May 18 by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Democrat of Connecticut, and Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, also a Democrat.

Workers still get sick. Children still get fevers and runny noses. Mom or Dad still needs to take them to the doctor or just stay by their bedside to nurse them back to health. No matter how dedicated workers are to hanging on to their jobs at all cost, the need to occasionally take time away from work never goes away--not even in a tough recession, not even when jobs are this hard to come by.

Unfortunately, nearly half of private sector workers in the United States don't have a single paid sick day to care for themselves. Additionally, nearly 100 million Americans get no paid time off to care for an ailing child or an aging parent.

Fewer "Wives" at Home

While this is an issue for all workers, the reality is that women, or "wives," have historically been tasked with the family care-giving responsibilities--and most families do not have a "wife" at home these days.

The numbers speak for themselves. According to a 2007 report by the Multi-State Working Families Consortium, "Valuing Families: It's About Time," less than 6 percent of all women in the U.S. were in the work force at the turn of the century. By 1950, that number had climbed to 24 percent; by 2000 to 60 percent.

Meanwhile, the number of single parents--mostly women--has also mushroomed and single mothers are working many more hours than they have in past years. Why? The Valuing Families report attributes this to pent-up demand among women for career opportunity and economic independence--and economic necessity. Simply put, over the last 35 years women's increased work and earnings has been the only avenue for many families to attain or maintain economic self-sufficiency.

Though the flood of women into the work force has been beneficial, it has raised an obvious question for families: how to provide all the care, support and supervision that children need without jeopardizing family economic self-sufficiency. For working women without paid sick days, occasionally staying home when a child is ill could mean the loss of a day's pay, or worse, the loss of a job.

It's a terrible choice that strikes fear in the hearts of all workers; a fear grounded in workplace reality.

Consequences of Time Off

In a 2006 survey, conducted by the Center on Work Life Law at the University of California's Hastings College of the Law, 1 in 6 workers said they or a family member had been fired, suspended, punished or threatened by an employer for taking time off to care for themselves or a family member when ill.

This is all highly counterproductive.

Healthy workers are key to a healthy national economy.

Paid sick days reduce the business costs of turnover, absenteeism and lack of productivity when workers are sick on the job. In fact, if workers were provided just seven paid sick days annually, according to information released by the National Partnership for Women and Families in 2008, our national economy would enjoy an annual net savings of more than $8 billion.

Healthy workers also contribute to a healthy public. As public health experts and our own government have repeatedly warned as we contend with H1N1 swine flu, sick workers can protect public health by staying home. But they shouldn't have to pay the awful price of job loss and family financial instability to do so.

For all these reasons we need to pass the Healthy Families Act.

It would allow workers to earn up to seven paid sick days a year to recover from their own illness, to care for a sick family member, or for diagnostic and preventative care. Equally important, it would allow workers time to recover from domestic violence or sexual assault. Just as no worker should have to choose between pay and health, no worker should have to choose between pay and safety.
Need for Federal Policy

In the last three years, paid sick days legislation has passed in three cities: San Francisco, the District of Columbia and Milwaukee, where implementation is being held up by legal challenges.

This year, there are 15 active paid sick-days state campaigns. But what America needs most in these tough economic times is federal policy like the Healthy Families Act.

A broad coalition of women's, civil rights, health, children's, faith-based and labor organizations supports the act. It has more than 100 co-sponsors in the U.S. House, strong leadership from Ted Kennedy in the Senate and the steadfast support of the White House.

In accepting his party's nomination last August, President Obama said, "We measure the strength of our economy by whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off and look after a sick kid without losing her job." Later he reiterated, "Now is the time to help families with paid sick days, because nobody in America should have to choose between keeping their job and caring for a sick child or an ailing parent."

Congress must pass the Healthy Families Act. The President must sign it.

We must ensure that all families have the tools to be as healthy and as economically self-sufficient as possible as we move toward recovery in the days ahead.


Linda Meric, a nationally-known speaker on family-friendly workplace policy, is executive director of 9to5, National Association of Working Women. A diverse, grassroots, membership-based nonprofit that helps strengthen women's ability to win economic justice, 9to5 has staffed offices in Milwaukee, Denver, Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Jose.

Originally posted online HERE.

See how you can TAKE ACTION for the Healthy Families Act HERE! Just scroll down to the bottom of the page for a sample letter and contact information for your US Senators and Representatives!

We're in the News -- Please Take Action!

The editorial in today's Atlanta Journal Constitution was written by none other than 9to5's executive director, Linda Meric!

Stay home sick? Not an option for many workers

In light of the outbreak of swine flu virus in Mexico — and the 3,352 confirmed cases, so far, in the United States — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that “to stay healthy” people should cover their mouths with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, wash their hands more often and avoid touching their eyes, mouth or nose.

The CDC also recommends that if you feel sick, you should stay home from work, limiting contact with others to keep from infecting them.

It’s that final recommendation that might prove the fatal flaw in health education efforts designed to avoid a swine flu pandemic in the United States.

Many American workers who feel ill can’t stay home from work.

They must go to work anyway because so many — 57 million workers to be precise — don’t have a single paid sick day.

Especially in this dismal economy, most workers cannot afford to help protect the public health by staying home when they are sick because doing so might mean that they lose a day’s pay, or even worse, their jobs.

Low-wage workers are the least likely workers to have jobs that allow them to earn paid sick days.

What does this mean for an America in fear of a pandemic flu virus?

It means restaurants, child care centers, nursing homes, hotels, public transit systems, schools and offices across the country could potentially be full of infected workers, who should be home in bed or at the doctor’s getting treatment, but will be on the job instead.

It means that instead of containing and minimizing public health risks, we’ll be maximizing them. It means many sick workers could be making other workers — and the public — sick.

Coming to work sick doesn’t help employers either. Workers who must report to work when they are ill are less productive. They don’t save money for business; they add to the costs of doing business.

The U.S. is the only industrialized nation that has no state or federal law requiring paid sick days. As a result, half the work force has none.

In addition, 100 million workers lack a single paid sick day they can use to care for an ill child, spouse or parent. Not only do we lack a federal sick leave policy, San Francisco, the District of Columbia and Milwaukee are the only cities that require employers to provide paid sick days for all workers.

Most Americans, though, believe paid sick days should be a basic right guaranteed by law.

Public opinion polls show that a majority consistently list paid sick days as “very important.”

Allowing workers to take short breaks from their jobs when their health, or the health of their families, demands it made sense to nearly 90 percent of people polled in 2007.

This basic labor standard is feasible, affordable and is good public and workplace policy.

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) are expected to reintroduce the Healthy Families Act in Congress this month.

It would allow workers to earn up to seven paid sick days a year to care for themselves or their families.

Women’s, labor, education, community and other organizations all support this proposal.

Maybe this swine flu scare, along with the voices of the American people, will move our Congress to action.

To fight the spread of disease and ensure the public health, a basic labor standard for paid sick days is the remedy.

See the original article online here.


We're really excited about this local publicity around a nationwide Paid Sick Days campaign, but now we need YOU to take action! We'd love it if you could write a letter to the editor, expressing support for paid sick days as a basic labor standard. You can send an email to the AJC editorial board here.

Note: If you're interested in writing, but unsure of what to say, check out the National Partnership for Women & Families Support Paid Sick Days page.

TAKE ACTION for Equal Pay Day!

You can take action today by letting your US Senator know that you support the passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act.

The Paycheck Fairness Act is comprehensive legislation that updates the Equal Pay Act of 1963. It will:

*strengthen penalties courts may impose for violations of existing equal pay laws
*prohibit retaliation against workers who inquire about or share wage information
*empower women to better negotiate for equal pay.


Approved by a bipartisan effort in House of Representatives, after the passage and signing of the historic Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, it is the next step toward ending wage discrimination.

Take Action by contacting your US Senator today! Click here for a link to a letter that can be sent from the 9to5 website!

Take Action for the Employee Free Choice Act!

About the Employee Free Choice Act
The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) will make it easier for men & women to join unions in their workplaces. How?

• EFCA will protect workers' rights by strengthening penalties against employers who fire or retaliate against workers during an organizing campaign or an effort to obtain a first contract.
• EFCA will also allow the employer or the employees to request mediation if they are not able to negotiate a first contract, helping them to settle on a contract in a reasonable amount of time.
• EFCA will allow workers to form a union if the majority of employees (50% plus one) sign union authorization cards. (Currently 100% of workers must sign on for the union to be recognized.)
  

Where is the bill now?
On March 10th, EFCA was introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Rep. George Miller (D-California). The bill has widespread support in both houses of Congress and in the White House, but still needs our support to get passed.



What can YOU do?
First, educate yourself about the issue. Visit the American Rights at Work and the AFL-CIO websites to find more information about EFCA.

Then, contact Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, urging them to support EFCA. Find contact information for Chambliss here and for Isakson here. Or, if you'd rather send a pre-written email, ARAW provides one here. Unsure of what to say? Check out the AFL-CIO's key facts about EFCA.

Spread the word! Make sure your friends know you support this bill and encourage them to contact their senators, too. Click on the envelope (with an arrow on it) at the bottom of this post to send this blog post to your friends.



PS: Did you contact your senators? Did they reply? Please let 9to5 know what they're saying, either by posting a comment below or by emailing us at activist@9to5.org. Thanks!

For Work-Family Flexibility, the Time is Now

By Linda Meric

In the workplace of the future, the words "work" and "family" will be connected by more than the obligatory hyphen.

In the workplace of the future, workers who are sick will have paid sick days so they can stay home for a day or two and take care of themselves - without fearing they will lose a day's pay, or worse, their jobs.

In the workplace of the future, working parents won't have to miss their child's big part in the school play or forfeit the chance for an important parent-teacher conference -- they'll have parental leave that will allow them to both do their jobs AND be good parents by being involved in their children's school activities.

In the workplace of the future, more workers will be able to utilize the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act for more reasons - and it will be affordable for them.

In the future, work-family flexibility will be more than something that we're working toward - it will be a reality.

Why is it important? Consider the case of Sherry Johnson, a Milwaukee grandmother and career data entry operator. Sherry began to have problems with her eyes and her doctor recommended eye surgery. She informed her employer, underwent the surgery, and let her employer know that she would have to take time to recover. After the recovery period, she called her employer again to inform them that she was ready to return to work. But rather than welcoming her back, she was fired. Her supervisor said it was because she took the time off for the surgery. Sherry tells her story (view it online here) because she wants her grandchildren to grow up in a future world where families are truly respected and all people are treated with dignity.

What happened to her is appalling. Even more appalling are these statistics: more than 57 million workers do not have a single paid sick day in which to take care of themselves in times of illness and more than 100 million workers don't have a paid sick day in which they can stay home and care for a sick child. Those least likely to have paid sick days are those who can least afford to lose their jobs: working women who head households and struggle mightily to make the dual demands of work and home work for both their employers and their families.

But pushing toward a future where flexible work-family policy is more than just a dream is about more than economic justice for women and their families. It's also a matter of public health, because child care, nursing home, restaurant and other workers who must go to work sick can make the rest of us sick. It's also a business issue because research has shown that those workplaces that offer flexibility to their workers are more profitable and have employees who are more productive. For all those reasons, paid sick days must be among the key policies that set the tone for the workplace of the future.

What are we doing to build a future of economic justice?

Paid sick days policies have already been enacted in San Francisco and the District of Columbia. And, this past November, the Milwaukee Chapter of 9to5, National Association of Working Women led the campaign that won paid sick days for every worker in the city of Milwaukee. Nearly 70 percent of the voters said "yes" to the paid sick days referendum but now the business community has decided to fight the voice of the people. Now, we'll have to wait ‘til at least May for a judge to uphold the voice of the people and the democratic process. We are confident that the paid sick days vote will stand.

The broad coalition that joined with 9to5 to win paid sick days has recommitted to the ideals of the workplace of the future. Activists in North Carolina, Massachusetts and California continue to fight toward a future where every worker has the right to take care of themselves and their families without jeopardizing their jobs. 9to5 members across the country are sharing their personal experiences through letters and meetings with elected officials and the media, speaking to other groups, and participating in local coalition activities that push toward a future reality. The Healthy Families Act, federal legislation that would guarantee that every worker has paid sick days, is on the table and more important than ever. Contact your US Senators NOW and urge them to support the HFA.

How long will we wait for a future with work-family flexibility?

We who believe in economic justice believe the time is NOW. To join with us, call our the 9to5 Helpline at 1-800-522-0925, email us at activist@9to5.org, or visit our website, www.9to5.org for more ideas.

Meric is Executive Director, 9to5, National Association of Working Women

This blog post was originally seen on blogher.com as part of fem2.0's blog carnival about women and work. View the original entry here.

How do you feel about the new stimulus plan??

Our U.S. Congress is working on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The House has already passed the stimulus plan and the Senate will soon be voting. If passed, some of the money will come to the state of Georgia, to some of our cities and also some school districts.

Locally, ten cities in Georgia have requested almost 3 billion dollars from the plan, including Atlanta, Alpharetta, Marietta, Acworth, and Athens. Proposed projects would put money into repairing old infrastructure and building new that could possibly add 30,000-40,000 jobs in Atlanta region alone. Also a priority to Atlanta is public safety, including hiring more police officers. Mayor Shirley Franklin states that “this is important to the city, to the state and important to the national economy.”

Meanwhile, Rep. John Lewis, who supports the stimulus plan, states on his website that the bill offers tax cuts to 95% of Americans and that the funds will go to increasing Pell grants, infrastructure, lowered healthcare costs thru technology upgrade as well as many other programs. His website shows as much as $8 billion as being requested to aid in projects such as Head Start; employment training for adults, youth and dislocated workers; Low-Income Home Energy Assistance; elderly services; the Food Stamps Program; and Medicaid.

Critics, however, look at this as increased government spending and increasing to our debt, rather than helping it. They urge for continued stimulus to the private sector rather than government programs. Adding to public criticism is the failure to pay taxes by several of President Obama’s administration choices including Tom Daschle.

Meanwhile, the news reports today that employers have slashed another 598,000 jobs in January - pushing the unemployment rate up to 7.6 percent!! According to CNNMoney, the latest job loss is the worst since December 1974, and brings job losses to 1.8 million in just the last three months. Economists project continued losses and economic downturn in 2009.
President Obama has said that the American people called for change in November and “that's what we're going to deliver”. How do you feel about the new stimulus package? Do you support it or oppose it? Have you contacted your legislators about your views? Share with us, but also don’t forget to share with your US Senators, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, as well as your district House and Senate reps. You can find how to contact them at www.votesmart.org.

Dear Helpline

The New York Times is reporting today that the number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits has reached an all-time high. Read the article here. With so many people out of work and needing assistance, 9to5 wants to make sure you know about recent changes to the unemployment benefits you can receive. The following has been taken from the "Dear Helpline" column in 9to5's Winter 2009 Newsline:



I only have one week left of unemployment benefits and I haven't found a new job. What can I do??

You're in luck -- in December, Congress passed an extension of unemployment insurance benefits for all fifty states. This means that everyone currently receiving unemployment insurance can collect benefits for seven more weeks. Also, if you live in a state with an unemployment rate higher than 6% (which is now a majority of states) your benefits will be extended another thirteen weeks -- for a total of twenty additional weeks. To find out how long your extension will be, contact your state Department of Labor or the Bureau of Labor Statistics at (202) 691-5200 or http://www.bls.gov/web/laumstrk.htm for the unemployment rate in your state.

TOMORROW!

Go vote!

By now you know how important it is that you cast a ballot in this runoff election. BUT...

Are you still not sure who you're going to vote for? 9to5 recommends you take one last look at the candidates' websites before casting your ballot.

United States Senate candidates:
Jim Martin
Saxby Chambliss

Public Service Commission - District 4 Representative candidates:
Jim Powell
Lauren ("Bubba") McDonald

Georgia Court of Appeals judicial candidates:
Sara Doyle
Mike Sheffield


Do you know where to vote? If not, find your polling place on the Secretary of State's online poll locator!

AND, don't forget:

• Polls are open from 7am - 7pm tomorrow. If you are standing in line by 7pm, you can still vote.

• If your work schedule does not allow you enough time to vote, state law requires your employer to give you up to 2 hours off work to cast a ballot!
  

• You must bring a form of photo identification with you to the polls (see a list of approved IDs).

And never forget:
Your vote counts!

Runoff Election FAQ

The runoff has been confirmed! If you haven't already, please mark your calendar for TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2nd. This election is just as important as the first election! Three important races are still up in the air: the Senate race, the District 4 representative to the GA Public Service Commission, and the Georgia Court of Appeals race.

Who can vote? Every registered voter in the state of Georgia can vote in all three elections!

How can I vote? You can vote on Tuesday, December 2nd, at your regular polling place OR you can request an absentee ballot or early/advance vote!

To vote absentee: Download an application for an absentee ballot here - and send it in immediately! Applications must be returned to your county Board of Registrars Office. Find contact info for your county's office here.

To vote early or in advance: According to the Secretary of State's website, early voting will take place Monday, November 17-Friday, November 21 and advance voting will take place Monday, November 24-Wednesday, November 26. Polls will be closed that Thursday & Friday because of Thanksgiving. To check your early/advance voting locations, please click here.

Who's running?
Senate:
Saxby Chambliss
Jim Martin
Public Service Commission:
Lauren ("Bubba") McDonald
Jim Powell
Court of Appeals:
Sara Doyle
Mike Sheffield



Note: 9to5 is sending out weekly election update emails until the runoff election. If you'd like to be added to the list of people receiving these emails, please let us know!

It's still unclear whether Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin will have to campaign for another month, before settling their race in a runoff election next month. Votes are still being counted across Georgia, and neither candidate has received a clear majority of the votes. CNN is reporting that Chambliss currently has 50% of the vote, while Martin has 47%. A majority of 50% plus one is needed to win the race.

If this race needs to be settled in a runoff, it will take place on Tuesday, December 2nd. Also on that day, the race to elect representatives to the District 4 Public Service Commission and the Georgia Court of Appeals will be decided. Neither race saw a candidate win a decisive victory. In the District 4 race, Democrat Jim Powell is running against Republican Lauren ("Bubba") McDonald, and in the Court of Appeals race, Sara Doyle and Mike Sheffield are on the ballot.

It's important that you cast a ballot in this runoff election! The outcomes of these elections could be vital in determining public policy in the state of Georgia and across the nation in the coming years! If getting to the polls again on December 2nd will be difficult for you, please vote absentee. You can download a printable application for an absentee ballot here. Complete the application and mail or fax it to your county Board of Elections office. Contact information for this office is available here.


Congratulations to all on a record turnout at the polls in Georgia on Tuesday -- extra congrats if you were a first time voter! This was a big election, and only time will tell what the outcome will be for working Americans.

Election Connection continues...

The 2008 election is over, but it looks like 9to5's Election Campaign will continue on. The Georgia Senate race is so close - neither candidate has the necessary vote of 50% plus one to win - so there will likely be a run-off election next month between the incumbent Saxby Chambliss and his challenger, Jim Martin.

Please check back tomorrow for further updates about what this next phase of the Election Connection will entail!