January 24, 2000
Dear Friends,
In November I asked people to send letters to Alexis Herman at the Department
of Labor. 87 people emailed me that they had sent the letters and almost all
had asked their friends and contacts to do so too. I was thrilled with this
response, and now…Guess What? …It's time to do it again!
Last month the US Department of Labor (DOL) proposed a new regulation to make
family leave more affordable through Unemployment Insurance (UI). The rule
would let each state decide whether to use its UI law to allow people to
collect unemployment benefits while they are on parental leave. This
innovative and exciting initiative begins to solve the problem that too many
people can't afford to take unpaid family and medical leave.
The DOL is accepting public comments on this proposal just until
** FEBRUARY 2.**
I received the news about it from Naomi Baumslag, who got it from the
National Partnership for Women and Families. It is crucial that both the DOL
and members of Congress hear from people who support the proposal.
Special-interest employers' groups have already sent in hundreds of comments
AGAINST it. So it's extremely important that those of us who support the
idea make our voices heard as well.
Here are THREE ways to send your comments in.
ONE. Cut and paste the sample letter below (or a similar one that you write
yourself) and email it to
a) [log in to unmask]
b) your Senators and Representative
c) [log in to unmask] (National Partnership for Women and Families)
d) [log in to unmask] (Chris Mulford)
You can find your representative's name and contact information at
http://www.house.gov/house/MemStateSearch.htm
and your senators' names and contact information at
http://www.senate.gov/senators/index.cfm
or TWO. Print and mail the sample letter (again, editing if you wish).
Email me and the National Partnership for Women and Families, so we know how
successful this appeal has been.
A representative's address in Washington is
Representative XX, United States House of Representatives, Washington DC
20515
and a senator's address in Washington is
Senator XX, United States Senate, Washington DC 20510.
or THREE. Visit the website for the National Partnership for Women and
Families
www.nationalpartnership.org. Click on the link to *Comment on New Proposal
to Help Parents Make Ends Meet* and follow the directions.
Remember to email me at [log in to unmask] Feedback is wonderful because it
lets us know that we have made a difference…and we all need that!
In solidarity,
Chris Mulford, RN, BSN, IBCLC
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
Coordinator of WABA's US / ILO Campaign
SAMPLE LETTER TO COMMENT ON PAYING FOR FAMILY LEAVE WITH UNEMPLOYMENT
INSURANCE
Grace A. Kilbane, Director
Unemployment Insurance Service
Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
US Department of Labor
200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room S-4231
Washington DC 20210
Re: Comments on the Department of Labor's proposed unemployment
compensation/parental leave regulation, 64 Fed Reg 67972, Dec 1999
Dear Ms. Kilbane:
As a breastfeeding advocate, I strongly support the Department of Labor's
proposed regulation that would allow states to use unemployment benefits to
provide paid family leave for new parents. This change would help update the
unemployment insurance system to fit the changing composition of the American
workforce.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that virtually all babies
should receive 100% breastmilk for about the first six months of life and
continue breastfeeding, while solid foods are gradually added, until age one
year or longer. The US Public Health Service has set goals for increasing
the number of mothers who begin breastfeeding and continue for six to twelve
months. Millions of federal dollars are spent to promote and support
breastfeeding through the WIC program. But with almost 60% of mothers of
babies under age one in the labor force, a woman's job is most often a major
barrier to breastfeeding.
Women who do succeed at combining breastfeeding with paid work are usually
white-collar workers or professionals who can afford to take several weeks of
leave after giving birth, then negotiate with their employers for flexible
working conditions and a time and place to express milk during the workday.
Women in low-paying jobs can't afford to take unpaid leave to get
breastfeeding off to a good start, and they have less leverage for
negotiating accommodations in the workplace. Breastfeeding is a luxury that
is out of reach for them and their children, a line that separates the
"haves" from the "have-nots."
As a tremendous step toward making affordable family leave a reality for
working American parents, the proposed regulation has my wholehearted support.
In addition I suggest that the proposal be expanded to cover paid nursing
breaks for mothers in the workplace. Instead of one 40-hour week of family
leave time, a woman could return to work and take two 30-minute breaks for
expressing milk every day for eight weeks; instead of two weeks of leave, 16
weeks of paid nursing breaks, etc.
Thank you for your consideration of these comments and recommendations.
***********************************************
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