Recession hits women, especially Single Moms, hard

The news from Legal Momentum isn't good this week but reminds us that we must keep pushing toward economic justice for women and their families. Read the summary of a new report on the recession and single mother employment below. -- Linda Meric

The Impact of the Recession on Single Mother Employment:

Already High Unemployment Jumps Even Higher and More Single Mothers Reduced to Part-time Work

Single mothers have consistently experienced a far higher rate of unemployment than the population as a whole, and this pattern has continued during the economic downturn that began in December 2007. In 2007, the average monthly unemployment rate was 8.0 for single mothers compared to 4.6 for the population as a whole.

In 2009, the unemployment rate was 13.6 for single mothers compared to 9.3 for the population as a whole. The single mother unemployment rate may have grown even higher than 13.6 in 2010. Although the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will not publish the single mother unemployment statistic until the year is over, BLS does publish on a monthly basis the unemployment rate for “women who maintain families,” about two-thirds of whom are single mothers.

The average monthly unemployment rate for women who maintain families was 11.9 in the first seven months of 2010, compared to 11.5 in 2009.

The economic downturn has also led to an increase in the fraction of employed single mothers who work only part-time from 18% in 2007 to 22% in 2009. (August 2010)

(For further information, contact Timothy Casey, Senior Staff Attorney, tcasey@legalmomentum.org)

Need for Paid Sick Days Never Takes a Holiday

It’s summer -- a time for neighborhood barbeques, family road trips, lazy and hazy days. Summer fun is an American tradition, reminding us that we all occasionally need a break from the stresses and challenges of our lives.

Summer is a perfect time to remind ourselves that low-wage working women occasionally need time too; the time to care for ourselves and our families. Now’s the time to take action for paid sick days for all workers: to contact our Senators and remind them that, for the sake of our families, our nation’s public health and family economic security, we must ensure that all workers have access to paid sick days by passing the Healthy Families Act.

This summer – on Women’s Equality Day, August 26 – the members and activists of 9to5 will be doing just that in our National Day of Action, “Healthy Families: Paid Sick Days Now.” Some of us will perform street theater. Some will hold rallies. Others will conduct press conferences. We will all join our voices to say that no one should ever have to make the choice between caring for ourselves or a loved one in times of occasional illness and keeping our pay or our jobs.
Consider Asha’s family.

Asha C.is a young working mother in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a temporary hire, Asha had no paid sick days and could be fired for missing work – even if she or one of her children was ill. One day, she was sick and called in to say she would be late. When she arrived an hour later, two men escorted her to a large meeting room. They fired her. Her employer’s actions not only caused her to lose her job, but also to miss payment of her rent and other household bills. It took a long time for Asha to find another job.

Like Asha, nearly 60 million Americans lack a single paid sick day 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 stay home and get better or go to work sick to keep from losing a job.

Those who must go to work sick not only jeopardize their own well-being, they threaten the public health. It was at the beginning of summer in June 2009 that the World Health Organization announced we were officially in the grip of a global H1N1 swine flu pandemic. President Barack Obama and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had previously urged those experiencing flu symptoms to stay home from school and work, see a doctor and avoid public contact until they recover. But American workers without paid sick days could not stay home because they risked losing their jobs. Illnesses were passed in fast-food restaurants, offices and schools.

Still, last summer’s threat of swine flu eventually passed and many of us haven’t given it another thought.

But now it’s summer again. And, soon, flu season will be upon us.

Especially as the economy still falters, especially as flu season approaches, especially because women are now the breadwinner or co-breadwinner in two-thirds of American families, we must have paid sick days now.

So, we’re asking you to join 9to5 on August 26, Women’s Equality Day, for our National Day of Action. We’re asking you to speak-out. We’re asking you to contact us for ideas on how to take action.

Illness never takes a holiday. Summer is the perfect time to ensure that the Healthy Families Act passes and guarantees paid sick days for all workers NOW.

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

9to5 Co-Sponsor of "Turning the Tide"

What women need are policies that do not place them as targets of unscrupulous employers, but that help them fight illegal labor practices like pay discrimination and help to close the pay gap (which disproportionately affects Latinas and other women of color) so they can support their children now and support themselves in retirement.

We don’t need laws that criminalize women and make them more vulnerable to harm, but laws that help make ALL women and their families successful and more able to live out the American dream. Join us in speaking out now -- that's why 9to5 has signed on to co-sponsor this important conference.

-- Linda Meric

Turning the Tide on Immigration Enforcement

National Women and Children’s Advocacy Day

Washington, DC *** July 15, 2010

On July 15, women and children from around the country will gather in Washington to share their stories and shine a light on the real life impact of immigration enforcement policies on families. In particular, policies like Arizona’s SB1070, 287g agreements and the so-called “Secure Communities” programs threaten the future for the next generation. Join us as we say, “enough is enough.”

Agenda

10:00 Press Conference
Announcing participating organizations and 3:00 pm hearing

Location: TBA

10:30 Legislative Visit Orientation

Reviewing goals and messages for the day

11:00 Legislative Visits

Targeting members of the Caucus on Women’s Issues and the Children’s Caucus,

participants will share stories and concerns about the impact of SB1070, 287G and

other immigration enforcement policies on women, children and families.

3:00 Hearing – Impact of Immigration Enforcement Policy on Children

Chair: Congressman Raul Grijalva

Location: Rayburn 2237

4:00 Closing

Co-sponsoring Organizations: Puente Movement Arizona, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Day Laborer Organizing Network, AFL-CIO, Family Values at Work Consortium, 9to5, National Association of Working Women . . . and others

US Department of Labor clarifies FMLA definition of ‘daughter and son

Interpretation is a win for all families

The U.S. Department of Labor last week clarified the definition of "son and daughter" under the Family and Medical Leave Act to ensure that a worker who assumes the role of caring for a child receives parental rights to family leave regardless of the legal or biological relationship.

From the News Release ...

"The FMLA allows workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period to care for loved ones or themselves. The 1993 law also allows employees to take time off for the adoption or the birth of a child. The administrator interpretation issued by Nancy J. Leppink, deputy administrator of the department's Wage and Hour Division, clarifies that these rights, which provide work-family balance, extend to the various parenting relationships that exist in today's world. This action is a victory for many non-traditional families, including families in the lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender community, who often in the past have been denied leave to care for their loved ones.

"No one who loves and nurtures a child day-in and day-out should be unable to care for that child when he or she falls ill," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "No one who steps in to parent a child when that child's biological parents are absent or incapacitated should be denied leave by an employer because he or she is not the legal guardian. No one who intends to raise a child should be denied the opportunity to be present when that child is born simply because the state or an employer fails to recognize his or her relationship with the biological parent. These are just a few of many possible scenarios. The Labor Department's action today sends a clear message to workers and employers alike: All families, including LGBT families, are protected by the FMLA."

For more information please go to

http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/WHD/WHD20100877.htm

President Obama Calls for Passage of Paycheck Fairness Act

On this 47th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, women's rights activists have lifted their voices, calling on the U.S. Senate to end the bottleneck, pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and send it to the President's desk for signature.

Now, President Obama again lends his own voice to those calling for passage in this statement released today by the White House.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

June 10, 2010

Statement by the President on the Anniversary of the Equal Pay Act

On June 10, 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed into law the Equal Pay Act, which sought to end wage discrimination on the basis of sex. At the time, women were paid 59 cents for every dollar earned by men. 47 years later, pay parity remains far from reality, as women in the United States still only earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. For women of color, this gap is even wider. This remains unacceptable, as it was when the Act was signed. All women – and their families – deserve equal pay. Women now make up nearly half of the nation’s workforce, most homes have two working parents, and 60 percent of all women work full-time. As we emerge from one of the worst recessions in American history, when families are struggling to pay their bills and save for the future, pay inequity only deepens that struggle and hampers our economy’s ability to fully recover.

But we have taken some important steps to address this inequality. I am proud that the first bill I signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which restored the right to seek a remedy for women who, like the law’s namesake, face wage discrimination during their careers. In my State of the Union address, I pledged to crack down on violations of equal pay laws, and I’ve created the National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force, bringing together federal agencies to improve the enforcement of equal pay laws. We’ve also increased funding for federal agencies charged with enforcing equal pay laws and other civil rights statutes. The agencies themselves have taken steps to address disparities. For instance, the Department of Labor Women's Bureau is conducting research and analysis, providing technical assistance, and building partnerships to increase women's incomes, narrow the wage gap, and reduce income inequality. And the White House Council on Women and Girls is actively working to close the wage gap.

More needs to be done. I appreciate the House acting on the Paycheck Fairness Act early last year, and I renew my call to the Senate to modernize and strengthen the Equal Pay Act by closing loopholes, providing incentives for compliance, and barring certain types of retaliation against workers by employers. On this anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, let us all renew and redouble our efforts.

Arizona Law an Attack on ALL Women

In addition to the obvious racist and xenophobic implications of the new Arizona immigration law, in addition to the obvious concerns that this unlawful law targets residents based on the hue of their skin and the language on their lips, there is something else that troubles us. SB 1070 is an attack on women – especially mothers, and those who find themselves in situations of domestic violence, sexual assault or workplace discrimination.

What was Governor Jan Brewer thinking when she stood for all the world to see and signed this wrong-headed legislation into law? There is so much in SB 1070 that compels activists to speak out against it.

Targeting drivers for potential deportation means mothers are taken away from their children, splitting up families in pursuit of enforcement of a broken immigration system. A mother dropping her child off at school or child care in the morning doesn’t know if she’ll be there to pick her up in the afternoon.

And SB 1070 actually increases the threat to women facing domestic violence or sexual assault. Why would a woman call the police to report a crime, why would she ask the police to come to her home, when the first thing they’re going to do is demand her citizenship documentation or that of her family members? This law is a boon for those who would threaten and abuse wives, girlfriends, partners and other women.

It’s also a boon for unscrupulous employers who violate wage and discrimination laws or permit sexual harassment in the workplace. These laws apply to all workers, with and without documents. If you work, under law, you must get paid and you must not be discriminated against or illegally harassed. But SB 1070 silences women from speaking out, from reporting crimes and violations of workplace rights.

By silencing women, SB 1070 permits and condones these attacks. It’s especially bad for the women who face them as individuals, but it’s also bad for ALL women.

What women need are policies that ensure they can provide for their families, policies like paid sick days laws that protect jobs and income even if you face unthinkable situations like domestic violence and sexual assault.

What women need are policies that do not place them as targets of unscrupulous employers, but that help them fight illegal labor practices like pay discrimination and help to close the pay gap (which disproportionately affects Latinas and other women of color) so they can support their children now and support themselves in retirement.

We don’t need laws that criminalize women and make them more vulnerable to harm, but laws that help make ALL women and their families successful and more able to live out the American dream. Join us in speaking out against SB 1070 now!

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

We All Deserve a World Where Women Receive Equal Pay

Today on April 20 -- a full four months into the year -- women across the country will observe the date on the calendar when our wages finally catch up with men’s wages from last year. That’s right; it takes women 16 months, on average, to earn what men make in only 12 months. For African American women and Latinas it takes even longer because the pay gap is even wider.

It’s shameful that the historic pay gap, rather than decreasing, is actually increasing. Women now earn only 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. So women across the country are coming together for rallies, receptions, and “Un-Happy” Hours, wearing red to show that women’s paychecks are in the red.

But the pay gap isn't just a woman’s issue; it’s an issue for all working families.

According to the Center for American Progress women are the primary breadwinner or co-breadwinner in two-thirds of American families. The gap hurts everyone – spouses, children, aging parents, our extended families – because there is less money to help make ends meet; less money for groceries, rent, clothes, doctor’s visits, and to ensure that our families are self-sufficient.

But there’s something we can do about it.

We can all come together to build support for the Paycheck Fairness Act (S 182), federal legislation that passed the House last year. Now, the Senate is poised to take action and we must speak out.

The act would close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act of 1963, enhance remedies, prohibit retaliation against workers who share wage information, and provide the government with new tools to monitor and address pay inequities. Passage is critical -- particularly in these economically perilous times when the self-sufficiency of women and their families is so at risk.

This legislation must move NOW. There's no time like the present. Take a moment, right now, and contact your Senators today, urging them to support the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Women who work hard every day should be paid fairly. It's been nearly 47 years since the Equal Pay Act was signed. We can't wait another forty-seven to close this gap. Working women and their families -- all of us -- deserve better.