WORK & FAMILY
FMLA25: Advancing Paid Leave
Together with our allies on Capitol Hill, as well as advocates and activists from across the country, the National Partnership celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) earlier this month. And we spearheaded a passionate, loud call to action for a strong, comprehensive national paid family and medical leave program.

Here are just a few highlights:
- The National Partnership coordinated an #FMLA25 digital day of action that trended nationally on Twitter — with more than 12,000 contributors and 138 million impressions. Participants included: Sophia Bush, Hillary Clinton, Melinda Gates, Shonda Rhimes, Sheryl Sandberg, Maria Shriver, FAMILY Act lead co-sponsors Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, close to 100 other members of Congress and more!
- The National Partnership published opinion pieces on Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland, The Hill, Slate (here and here), SiX and Medium.
- National Partnership Vice President Vicki Shabo joined a roundtable discussionwith lawmakers, researchers, a business owner and an entrepreneur about why a strong national paid leave plan is good for working people, businesses and the economy.
Get a complete wrap-up of FMLA25 here »

Related:
The National Partnership convened an audio news conference earlier today to discuss a new report on the most effective approaches to providing paid family and medical leave in the United States.
More »
Last week, National Partnership Vice President Vicki Shabo talked with North Carolina lawyer, widower and father of two, John Duberstein, about what paid leave means to him. Duberstein’s late wife authored The Bright Hour: A Memoir on Living and Dying, so he knows firsthand how important paid leave is for families and family caregivers.
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REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
Scott Lloyd Must Go
Scott Lloyd is the director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and the Trump administration official responsible for the #JusticeForJane cases. Lloyd tried to block young immigrant women in federal custody from getting abortion care, and he was even willing to break the law to prevent them from getting the health care they need.
Lloyd’s actions are an outrageous abuse of power and part of a coordinated, federally funded campaign to shame, bully and deny abortion care to vulnerable young women.
Call for Scott Lloyd’s immediate removal and an end to ORR’s unconstitutional policy banning abortions for those in its custody »

Related:
National Partnership Vice President Sarah Lipton-Lubet explains how fake clinics harm women and undermine abortion access in her latest op-ed in The Hill.
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HEALTH CARE
Medicaid Work Requirements Harm Women
Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved punitive, burdensome and ineffective Medicaid work requirements in Indiana and Kentucky that are especially harmful for women because workplaces don’t reflect or support the complexity of their lives. To be clear: These requirements aren’t about making women and families more financially secure, as the Trump administration and congressional leadership claim. They are about driving people off of Medicaid, leaving more women and families without access to health care coverage.
Instead of implementing these harmful work requirements, more states should expand Medicaid and connect women to the health care they need to get and stay healthy.
Read more »
Related:
National Partnership Vice President Katie Martin points to the health needs of our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico in a recent blog post, “Delays are Destructive: Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands Need Health Care Funding Now.”
More »
WORKER’S RIGHTS
Working People’s Day of Action
Last weekend, we joined thousands of activists and advocates across the country to stand up for strong workplace protections and strong unions. And earlier this week, we rallied in front of the U.S. Supreme Court as justices heard oral arguments in Janus v. AFSCME — a case that threatens to undermine public sector unions and weaken workplace protections for millions of people.
Read more »

PAID SICK DAYS
Austin Advocates Win First Policy in the South
Earlier this month, the Austin City Council voted to approve an ordinance that will guarantee paid sick days for all Austinites, including more than 210,000 workers who currently cannot earn paid sick time. When Austin Mayor Steve Adler signs the ordinance, Austin will become the 42nd jurisdiction — and the first in the South — to guarantee paid sick days.
Read more »
Top Tweets

We are inspired by the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School students who are speaking out and organizing against gun violence. Their activism in the face of unthinkable tragedy is a testament to their leadership and spirit. We stand with you. #NeverAgain #MarchForOurLives
#Janus is a shameful attempt to hurt unions because they give workers a powerful voice in speaking up for themselves, their families and their communities. #UnrigtheEconomy #SCOTUS
It’s 2018 and #AAPI women in the U.S. are paid on average, 87¢ for every $1 paid to white men. And it’s much worse for certain ethnic subgroups within the community. pic.twitter.com/uPv5GGhB0G #AAPIEqualPay #NotYourModelMinority
“State and local #paidsickdays progress is leading the way toward a national standard, while improving the lives of workers, the health of communities and the strength of the economy.” — @sffink #ATXCouncil paidsickdays.org/blog/i.html?id=856902897 …
Stand strong for immigrant women and families by urging your members of Congress to support the #DREAMActnow! WeTweet.org/DREAM
We’re excited to join the @AspenInstitute #FamilyProsperity Innovation Community to work with @AspenAscend to develop strategies for strengthening the well-being and economic security of America’s families. aspeninstitute.org/news/press-release/family-prosperity-innovation-communiity/ …
“In some cases, dollars are directly diverted from public funds allocated to feed hungry children, all so that a woman looking for an #abortion clinic can be told lies about #abortion …” #reprohealth #reprorights rewire.news/article/2018/02/16/state-level-republicans- …
As we celebrate #FMLA25 this week, it’s clear that #paidleavemeans something personal, poignant and powerful to everyone. It’s time for the next step: #paidleave for all.
“Until the killing of Black men, Black mothers’ sons, becomes as important to the rest of the country as the killing of a white mother’s sons, we who believe in freedom cannot rest.” — Ella Baker #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackLivesMatter
We remember Rosa Parks, whose courage and activism powered the civil rights movement, changed history and made our nation stronger. #BlackHistoryMonth
Awful! Work requirements for #Medicaid recipients are cruel and will deny access to #healthcare to millions of people. rollcall.com/news/policy/states …
For the record, “putting America first” means …
✔ Comprehensive #paidleave
✔ #Paidsickdays for all
✔ Expanding birth control access
✔ Affordable health care
✔ Access to #abortion care
✔ #DREAMActNow
#SOTU
Media Mentions
Are You Eligible for Paid Family Leave Without Knowing It?, Consumer Reports, February 21, 2018
Why a Republican Plan for Paid Leave Has Stirred Concern About Social Security, New York Times, February 20, 2018
Trump Administration Moves to Allow Short-Term, Non-ACA-Compliant Health Policies, Stateline, February 20, 2018
Ending gender pay inequality, KETV, February 17, 2018
Sen. Tammy Duckworth raises questions about maternity leave while in office, USA TODAY, February 15, 2018
“He made me hate my body so much”: a different kind of #MeToo story, Vox, February 15, 2018
Ivanka Trump and Marco Rubio want a paid family leave plan that critics say will hurt women, Business Insider, February 13, 2018
Calls for paid family leave are getting louder, CNN Money, February 13, 2018
Trump’s budget calls for six weeks’ paid family leave. What it will cost you, CNBC, February 12, 2018
Tax bill provision designed to spur paid family leave to lower-wage workers, Salon, February 12, 2018
You’ll never guess who’s behind Rubio’s Social Security gutting ‘family leave’ plan, Daily Kos, February 9, 2018
Trump’s long history of employing — and defending — men accused of hurting women, Vox, February 9, 2018
5 Things Family Caregivers Need to Know About Family Leave, Next Avenue, February 7, 2018
Paid leave pitch, Politico, February 7, 2018
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993: Time to Finish the Job, Facebook, February 5, 2018
As the Family and Medical Leave Act Turns 25, the Country Urgently Needs a National Paid Leave Plan, MarketWatch, February 5, 2018
How Does Paid Leave Help Families? A Lot Is At Risk On Such An Important Anniversary, Romper, February 5, 2018
Why Paid Leave Means… Everything, Shondaland, February 5, 2018
Scholl and Ness column: Paid leave means a stronger Virginia, Richmond Times-Dispatch, February 2, 2018
Fired for being pregnant: Another kind of discrimination women face at work, CNN, February 1, 2018
Four ways fake clinics harm women and undermine abortion access, The Hill, February 1, 2018
Bank of America is the latest company to ban this dreaded job-interview question, Washington Post, January 29, 2018
How To Not Give The Flu To Someone Else If You Have It, Bustle, January 26, 2018
Press Releases
Media Advisory: What’s Needed to Create an Effective U.S. Paid Leave Policy? New Report Has Answers, Based on Analysis of Medical Evidence and 5,500+ Studies of Policies in U.S. States and Other Countries, February 27, 2018
Our Rights and Well-Being Are at Risk in Janus v. AFSCME, Women’s Leader Says, February 26, 2018
Trump Administration’s Latest Attempt at ACA Sabotage Would Drive Up Health Insurance Costs and Cut Protections for Women and Families, February 20, 2018
Victory in ‘Keeping Austin Healthy’ as City is Poised to Become the First in the South to Guarantee Paid Sick Days, February 16, 2018
Trump’s Budget Proposal Should be ‘Dead on Arrival;’ Deep Cuts to Medicaid, Planned Parenthood and Support for Low-Income Families Would Destroy Safety Net, Cause Lasting Harm to Women and Families, February 12, 2018
As the Family and Medical Leave Act Turns 25, the Country Urgently Needs a National Paid Leave Plan, Women’s Leader Says, February 5, 2018
More Than a Moment: Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Movement to Win Paid Leave for All, February 2, 2018
National Partnership Opposes Labor Department’s Proposal to Take Away Workers’ Tips, February 1, 2018
Trump’s Agenda Weakens Our Union, But the Country is Fighting Back, January 30, 2018
Senate Vote on Unconstitutional Abortion Ban Shows ‘Total Disregard for Women’s Health,’ Ness Says, January 29, 2018
With Nation’s Unpaid Leave Law Turning 25 Next Week, New Analysis Shows Workers in Every State Urgently Need a National Paid Leave Program, January 29, 2018
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