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Statement

Moms Leader Urges Congress to Reject Workflex in the 21st Century Act, Calling It a ‘Step Backward That Would Take Paid Sick Days Away from Millions of Workers’

December 5, 2017
Paid Sick Days

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement from Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, CEO and executive director of MomsRising.org, a national online and on-the-ground organization of more than 1 million mothers and their families, on H.R. 4219, the deceptively-named "Workflex in the 21st Century Act"
“Our country’s failure to allow all workers to earn paid sick days has created a crisis for working moms and families. It is truly shameful that more than 40 million workers cannot earn any paid sick days – and low-wage workers are the hardest hit. But the Workflex in the 21st Century Act is not the solution we need. In fact, it would be a huge step backward for the country, undermining state and local progress in letting workers earn paid sick days and eliminating the certainty and flexibility that real paid sick time and fair scheduling laws provide.
 
“Today in the United States, millions of moms struggle with impossible choices. Each time a child gets sick, they choose between losing pay and staying home with a sick child – or between losing pay and sending a sick child to school or childcare. To address this crisis, 40 jurisdictions, including eight states and many major cities, have or will soon have paid sick days laws in place. The Workflex in the 21st Century Act would stall or reverse that state and local progress. It is unfair, undemocratic and unworkable, and would be a step backward for the country. It would endanger paid sick day guarantees for the 13 million people who have gained access thanks to state and local laws.
 
“The political power of moms and families has brought paid sick days and paid leave to the forefront of public discussion. America’s moms, workers, families and communities need Congress to pass the Healthy Families Act, to establish a national paid sick days standard, as well as the FAMILY Act, to provide a guaranteed amount of paid family and medical leave for all workers in our country, not just those who win the location or boss lottery. The Workflex in the 21st Century Act is a sham that would do more harm than good. We need real solutions.”
 

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.