Great stuff, again thanks to *Democrats*, definitely no thanks to Republicans on this…
PHOTOS AND REELS: Workers Deliver More than 20,000 Petitions from Virginians Calling for a Paid Family and Medical Leave Program on Day of Legislation’s Passage
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| On the morning of March 13, workers deliver more than 20,000 petitions from Virginians calling for the passage of Paid Family and Medical Leave legislation patroned by Sen. Jennifer Boysko, seated, and Del. Briana Sewell. The bills passed that evening. (Photo by Bert Shepherd) |
| RICHMOND, Va. —- A group of workers today came to the General Assembly with more than 20,000 petitions from Virginians calling for the passage of a Paid Family and Medical Leave program in Virginia. The historic legislation, SB 2 patroned by Sen. Jennifer Boysko (D-Fairfax) and HB 1207 patroned by Del. Briana Sewell (D-Prince William), this evening passed both chambers of the General Assembly. The legislation would empower Virginians to take up to 12 weeks off of work at up to 80% of their pay to welcome a new baby or to care for themselves or a family member in the event of a serious illness or injury. Workers, including several home care workers who are members of SEIU Virginia 512 and a grocery store worker who is a member of UFCW Local 400, delivered the petitions to the legislative champions and shared their stories about why they supported the bill. |
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| Workers deliver petitions to Del. Briana Sewell (D-Prince William) calling for the passage of her legislation to create a Paid Family and Medical Leave program. (Photo by Bert Shepherd) |
“I’m a meat cutter at Kroger,” said UFCW Local 400 member Janet Wainwright, who works at the Kroger in Yorktown. “I got hurt about six years ago at Kroger, and I ruptured some disc in my neck. If I would have had Paid Family and Medical Leave, I wouldn’t have had to go four months without any pay. I had my surgery, and then I had to wait to go in front of a judge for Kroger to accept my workers’ comp. So having this in place then would have been nice, but now other workers will be able to benefit from this program and be able to take care of the family members or themselves if they do get hurt.” [View a reel of Wainwright’s story HERE].
Home care worker Joy Barnes, an SEIU Virginia 512 member, said a Paid Family and Medical Leave program “would mean a lot for me, because I have been sick in the hospital and needed time off and everything, and of course I didn’t get that. There was no pay in the situation that I went through. I would really enjoy that because I wouldn’t have to worry. I’d still get my bills paid. And that means a lot to me, just being able to take care of me.” [View a reel of Barnes’ story HERE]
“The reason I support this bill is because I am a caregiver of four clients that live with me, and I have lupus,” said home care worker Jewel Farley, a member of SEIU Virginia 512. “When I have a flare-up, I have to work. I can’t take off a day because I won’t get paid … This is why I support this bill. I should have the right to rest when I have a flare-up and be able to take care of myself while I’m taking care of my patients or making sure they are taken care of. This is why I support this bill.” [View a reel of Farley’s story HERE].
Katina Moss of Richmond, a member of TCI’s Collective Work Coalition, and self-described “doting grandmother,” shared how her daughter and son-in-law benefitted from extended time off through their jobs to take care of their new baby.
“My grandson has been able to get into a routine that is healthy for him, and it has blessed me that they were able to have paid family leave, because I see the benefit and how they were able to just get established as a family, with both parents having significant roles of caring for the child,” said Moss. “I was able to see firsthand what the research says, that even with the father having that initial time with the child, it increases the bond for the rest of the child’s life. So my grandson asks for both of his parents at bedtime all the time. If his dad is working at night, he has to be on FaceTime to put Ryan to bed. That’s a much different scenario than what I’ve seen in other parts of my family, where that initial time to establish care was not there.” [View a reel of Moss’ story HERE].
Currently, 76% of Virginia workers lack access to Paid Family and Medical Leave. Without access to this insurance program, working parents are forced to choose between taking care of a loved one and losing pay. Additionally, research shows that ensuring families can access Paid Family and Medical Leave not only reduces poverty but also improves health outcomes.
Right now, parents who take unpaid leave for four weeks lose an average of $3,700 in income.
A January poll from Christopher Newport’s Wason Center showed that 84% of Virginia voters — including 97% of Democrats, 79% of Independents and 70% of Republicans – support or strongly support a law to require a Paid Family and Medical Leave program that would allow workers to receive partial pay for up to 12 weeks to care for themselves or a loved one in the event of a serious illness, or to welcome a new baby. While paid sick days would ensure workers can stay home for short-term illnesses, a Paid Family and Medical Leave program would provide a safety net for serious life events.
The legislation now heads to Gov. Spanberger’s desk.
“We’re thankful for our champions, Senator Boysko and Delegate Sewell, for getting this proposal through the General Assembly once again,” said Tara Gibson, Virginia spokeswoman for Americans for Healthy Families. “This legislation will ensure families can still earn income when faced with a serious illness or injury. This legislation will help make Virginia one of the best states for working families, and we look forward to seeing it signed into law.”
