On May 5, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed into law HB 146, a bill to give eligible state employees three weeks of paid family leave to welcome a new child into their family. HB 146 was a great first step, but it leaves out too many workers. Comprehensive paid leave for all is crucial to keeping working women, especially mothers, attached to the workforce, and addressing long-standing pay inequities that result in women and workers of color being paid less than their white and male counterparts. Additionally, paid leave for all in Georgia would provide economic security and benefits to all families, so that working people don’t have to choose between being paid or taking care of themselves and their families during a serious illness.
We joined 9to5 and the Georgia Coalition for Paid Leave for a week of action from May 10th-14th, which included five days of amplifying the conversation about the importance of comprehensive paid family and medical leave in Georgia, as well as a coalition press conference demanding paid leave for all workers on Friday May 14th at 10:00 a.m.
Watch Friday’s Paid Leave Coalition press conference via 9to5 Georgia’s Facebook page.