JLC Summer Hearings Schedule

Our four key legislative priorities this year are the Safe Communities Act, paid family and medical leave, the $15/hour minimum wage and elimination of the tipped sub-minimum wage, the Fair Share Amendment. An important step in passing these laws is the hearing process.It's critical that advocates for these progressive pieces of legislation show up in force to demonstrate the widespread community support during the hearings and the Constitutional Convention. We hope you will join us.We encourage you to attend these lobby and hearing sessions for any portion of time you can. The length of each hearing will vary and is difficult to predict.If you have personal experience with topics covered by these bills and would like to share you experience publicly through a written statement or testimony, please contact Jenna at jenna.nejlc@gmail.com. Please also contact Jenna with any further questions about timing or logistics.

---

Safe Communities Act Hearing

When: Friday, June 9 | 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.Where: Massachusetts State House Rooms A1 & A2

---

Paid Family and Medical Leave Hearing

When: Tuesday, June 13 | Briefing & Lobbying 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. | Hearing 1:00-4:00 p.m.Where: Massachusetts State House | Briefing in Room 327 | Hearing in Room B2We will meet for a briefing and designated time to lobby your elected officials before the hearing time. We strongly encourage you to attend the pre-hearing program and to lobby your officials.

---

Fight for $15/Minimum Wage Hearing

When: Tuesday, September 19 | Briefing & Lobbying 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. | Hearing 1:00-4:00 p.m.Where: Massachusetts State House | Briefing Room TBA | Hearing in Gardner AuditoriumWe will meet for a briefing and designated time to lobby your elected officials before the hearing time. We strongly encourage you to attend the pre-hearing program and to lobby your officials.

---

Fair Share Amendment Constitutional Convention

When: Wednesday, June 14 | 12:30 p.m.Where: Massachusetts State House, House Chamber  

Support the Safe Communities Act: Call Elected Officials Today!

Please read this PDF and join us in actively advocating for the SCA.

You shall treat the stranger who resides with you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Creator your G-d. -Leviticus 19:34

You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. -Exodus 22:21

Because of our dedication to immigrants’ rights and human dignity, we here at the NE JLC strongly support the Safe Communities Act.The Safe Communities Act would protect the civil rights of all state residents by making sure our tax dollars are not used to help the Trump Administration deport immigrant families or create a Muslim registry. This critically important bill is sponsored by State Sen. Jamie Eldridge (S.1305) and State Rep. Juana Matías (H.3269).

Human Trafficking Awareness Day

January 11 is Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Around the world, there are an estimated 20.9 million people currently being trafficked, with hundreds of thousands in the United States.Every year, we recount the journey our ancestors took from bondage to freedom. The Exodus story calls us to uphold the right of every individual to be free.That's why the Jewish Coalition Against Trafficking (JCAT) created a Jewish Community Statement of Values in the Fight Against Human Trafficking, signed by dozens of Jewish organizations, including the JLC, to guide us in this work. For the full statement of our values, click here.This year, Congress will consider the 2017 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act which, together with other legislation, will establish American priorities and allocate funds in the fight against human trafficking for the next 3-5 years.Share the Jewish Community Statement of Values in the Fight against Human Trafficking with your members of Congress and urge them to end human trafficking.No industry is immune to the scourge of human trafficking, and survivors often find themselves at the mercy of the criminal justice system. But our lawmakers will have the power to change that by passing and renewing legislation to prevent all forms of human trafficking, provide survivor centered services, and help survivors rebuild their lives.We believe that every human being deserves respect and dignity. Together, we can turn our values into reality.

Tuesday, November 12, Hearing on Domestic Workers Bill of Rights

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

10:00 AM

(Press Conference at 9:30 am)

MA Statehouse, Room B-1

Public Hearing before the Joint Labor and Workforce Development

Committee on the MA Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights!

Domestic workers are the backbone of our economy. Nannies, caregivers and house-cleaners keep our communities running by supporting our families and our homes, but have been undervalued and left to work without many key legal protections. As a result, many are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation on the job.The Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights amends Massachusetts state labor law to guarantee basic work standards and protections: 24 hours off per 7-day calendar week; meal and rest breaks; limited vacation and sick days;   parental leave; notice of termination; protection from discrimination, sexual harassment, illegal charges for food and lodging and eviction without notice; and a means of enforcing these standards. Domestic employers under the bill do not include state regulated staffing agencies or the employers of those who work as casual babysitters.If you can come to the hearing or want to get involved in the campaign to pass the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, please contact Marya Axner, 617-227-0888 or NewEnglandJLC@jewishlabor.org