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In Arizona, A Victory in the Courts for Paid Sick Time and Local Democracy

After drawn out litigation, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled earlier this year that the State’s attempts to pass legislation that prohibits cities from passing laws regarding benefits—including paid leave—violates Arizona’s paid sick and safe days ballot initiative and the Arizona Voter Protection Act. The Arizona Supreme Court has now settled the issue by refusing to interfere with the Court of Appeals decision. As a result, local governments in Arizona can pass paid leave and other benefits laws that build on all rights at the state level.

The Case for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, In Stories

We speak with pregnant workers every day who face an impossible choice. What do I do if my doctor advises that I request a simple accommodation to maintain a healthy pregnancy, like a stool to sit on or assistance with heavy lifting, but my employer won’t provide them? Do I keep earning my paycheck when I need it most, or follow my doctor’s orders? The women featured here faced such a choice.

The BE HEARD Act Would Help Put A Stop to Workplace Sexual Harassment

A key part of the BE HEARD Act includes expanding civil rights protections to all employees regardless of business size, and to non-employees like independent contractors, interns, and volunteers. It would also prohibit employers from forcing workers to sign blanket non-disclosure agreements upon accepting a job and provide employers with best practices for preventing sexual harassment. And, crucially, the law would end the so-called “severe or pervasive” standard—which sets an impossibly high bar for victims to meet in court—sending the message that no form of sexual harassment is okay.

These Workers’ Stories Show Why NYC Needs Paid Personal Time

Yanelia Ramirez, a nail salon worker. Pedro Gamboa, an airport worker. Jacqui Orie, a nanny. Ricarda, a laundry worker. Each of them share something in common:  they work long, hard hours with no right to paid time off to attend important life events, spend time with their families, or simply relax.  On September 9th, we were proud to join these workers in calling for New York City to pass a bill giving New Yorkers the right to earn 10 days of paid personal time at a  rally on the steps of City Hall

Back to School: Supporting Kids Means Supporting Working Parents!

Parents with school-aged children quickly learn to expect the unexpected. Yet too many working parents find themselves in impossible dilemmas when a child falls ill, or when school-related meetings and events arise, due to a lack of paid time off and inflexibility in their schedules. That’s why we’re fighting for policy solutions that ensure parents can be there for their children when they need to without risking their economic security.

To Advance Labor Rights, We Must Defend Local Democracy in the Courts

Cities have long been at the frontlines in the fight to reform the modern workplace: local communities have led the way in adopting workplace solutions like paid sick time, living wage mandates, fair scheduling requirements, and LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination policies. But in response, states are increasingly blocking, or “preempting,” local progress by stepping in and overturning progressive local laws or preventing cities from passing them in the first place.

5 Ways to Fight for Working Families on Labor Day

Labor Day is a day for celebrating the achievements and hard work of the American workforce. Working families are the economic backbone of our country, and our policies should support and value them accordingly: all workers deserve fair wages, safe work environments free from harassment and discrimination, and the time and flexibility they need to care for themselves and their loved ones. 

Dr. Flora Ukoli on How to Support & Uplift Black Breastfeeding Parents

This Black Breastfeeding Week, we were thrilled to sit down with Dr. Flora Ukoli, M.D., MPH., IBCLC. Dr. Ukoli is a Professor of Community Medicine at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, the first historically Black four-year medical school in the South. She is a World Health Organization Breastfeeding and Lactation Master Trainer, and has engaged in extensive Baby-Friendly breastfeeding promotion and advocacy in Nigeria and the United States.

To Advance Women’s Equality, We Need Fairness for Pregnant Workers, Paid Leave, & Equal Pay

On August 26th, we celebrate Women’s Equality Day—a day commemorating the passage of the 19th amendment, which granted women the right to vote in 1920. This victory, it’s important to note, was not realized for all women until the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, when people of color were explicitly given the right to vote (a right that is still elusive for many today).
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