parental leave — News from the NEJLC — New England Jewish Labor Committee

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

Victory in DC!

Yesterday, the DC Council passed the Universal Paid Leave Act. More than 200 organizations, including Jewish United For Justice, worked tirelessly in conjunction with supportive legislators to win this progressive legislation.Under the new law, all private-sector workers will be eligible for 8 weeks of paid paid parental leave (for biological, adoptive and foster parents), 6 weeks of paid family caregiving leave, and 2 weeks of paid medical leave.Only three states currently offer paid family and medical leave: California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. It's time for Massachusetts to join that list!

How can we pass the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act in Massachusetts?

Tell us your about experiences!The Paid Family and Medical Leave Act is one of the three priorities of the Raise Up Massachusetts coalition for the upcoming year. Right now, as a member of the coalition, we're helping to collect stories of people who have experienced the need to take family or medical leave from their employment. This includes, but is not limited to: taking care of a family member; a personal injury or illness; adoption, fostering, or birth of a child.We encourage you to tell your story if you had a positive experience with paid time off OR if you suffered because of a lack of paid family and medical leave. Please submit your story here. Your story will help us to educate legislators and members of the public and move them to support of the PFMLA.