News

YW Boston joins other YWCA affiliates in national advocacy day

BOSTON, Mass – August 16, 2016 – Tomorrow, key staff of YW Boston will meet with the offices of Representative Stephen F. Lynch (8th Congressional District of Massachusetts) and Senator Ed Markey (Massachusetts) to discuss national policies that will promote economic justice for women and families. The meetings are part of a coordinated national effort by YWCA USA to have affiliates engage in in-district advocacy on the same day, tagged #YWCAday.

YW Boston will join the other YWCAs in advocating for three bills:

The Healthy Families Act (H.R. 932/S.497)

The Healthy Families Act would set a national paid sick days standard – a critical step toward meeting the health and financial needs of working families. The Healthy Families Act would:

• Allow workers in businesses with 15 or more employees to earn up to 7 job-protected paid sick days each year to be used to: recover from their own illnesses; access preventative care; provide care to a sick family member; attend school meetings related to a child’s health condition; or seek assistance related to a domestic violence incident. Workers in smaller businesses could earn unpaid sick days.
• Include a simple method for calculating accrused sick time while allowing employers to require certification if an employee uses more than three paid sick days in a row, and would not prevent employers from using existing leave accrual policies.

The Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (The Family Act) (H.R. 1439/S. 768)

The Family Act fills holes in the existing Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in terms of who qualifies for it and how supportive it is for families. While FMLA provides for unpaid leave for some workers, the Family Act would provide for paid leave for all workers, which is necessary to truly our nation’s needs and honor families. The Family Act would:

• Provide workers with up to 12 weeks of partial income when they need leave for their own serious health condition, including pregnancy and childbirth recovery, or the condition of a child, parent, spouse, or domestic partner. 
• Allow workers to earn 66% of their monthly wages, up to a capped amount. This would cover workers in all companies, no matter the size.

The Security  and Financial Empowerment (SAFE) Act of 2015 (H.R. 3841/S. 2208)

The SAFE act allows survivors to take off without penalty to make court appearances, seek legal assistance, and get help with safety planning for the survivor themselves or their family members. To achieve this goal, the SAFE act would:

• Allow a survivor to take up to 30 days off from work in a 12-month period, including seven days of paid time off consistent with the Healthy Families Act, to receive medical attention, seek legal assistance, attend court proceedings, and get help with safety planning.
• Protect employees from being fired because they were harassed by their abuser, or sought assistance related to their abuse.
• Require employers to make reasonable safety precautions or job-related modifications if requested, unless doing so would impose an undue burden on the employer.
• Ensure that survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking who have been separated from their employment as a result of such violence are eligible for unemployment insurance.
• Provide for a national awareness campaign to encourage a culture of prevention and support for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

YW Boston stands with YWCA USA in supporting these three pieces of legislation, as they address inequities in workplace advancement and earning potential that are more frequently faced by women. 

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YW Boston has been a leader in building a better Boston for all since 1866, when it was founded as the first YWCA in the nation. Today, YW Boston serves over 3,000 Bostonians with programs that educate + empower people across racial, gender, class, and organizational lines. YW Boston is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. 

Press Contact:
Emily Boardman
YW Boston
eboardman@ywboston.org
617-585-5414