A petition asking the federal government to implement a permanent paid family and medical leave program was delivered to lawmakers Wednesday with more than 55,000 signatories.
Behind the petition are the Hopewell Fund‘s Paid Leave for All, the non-profit organization MomsRising, and Glamour Magazine.
The text of the petition — available on the Glamour Magazine website — asks the nation’s leaders “to commit to passing the country’s first permanent paid leave program.”
“It’s way past time for the paid leave every working person and family deserves,” it states. The United States is one of only seven remaining countries in the world with no guaranteed form of paid leave. Just 27 percent of workers in the entire country have access to paid family leave through their jobs.”
“There is a human cost to the lack of paid leave, and families are paying it,” the petition continues. “Women and caregivers lift up our economy, which also disproportionately relies on the undervalued labor of women of color. Passing paid leave and care policies would yield millions of jobs, billions in wages, and trillions in GDP.”
“It would reduce turnover costs, retain talented workers, and allow employers and small businesses to be more competitive,” it argues. “It would keep working people in their jobs and families afloat. All of us will one day need to heal from illness or surgery, or to support the care or recovery of someone we love.”
The petition goes on to cite a survey which found that two-thirds of small businesses would like to see a national paid leave program implemented, as well as four in five Americans.
“In red states and blue, battlegrounds and beyond, supermajorities of voters want paid leave passed now,” it suggests. “This is not a partisan issue. This is about family values.”
“We ask that you prioritize a paid family and medical leave program in the United States, and that you publicly commit to its passage this Congress,” the petition concludes. “It will save jobs, save lives, and make our families and our nation stronger.”
According to the United States Department of Labor (DOL), “many workers are entitled to take unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA),” but “there is currently no federal law providing or guaranteeing access to paid family and medical leave for workers in the private sector.”
The FMLA was passed in 1993 and guarantees 12 weeks of unpaid leave a year to those who work for public agencies, schools, and private employers with 50 or more employees.
This past summer, Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed a budget into law that, among other things, established the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program with a starting appropriation of $25 million.
Beginning in the Spring of 2026, Maine workers will be eligible to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a sick family member, as well as to bond with a newborn baby or newly-adopted child.
Also eligible for leave are those experiencing a serious health condition who are rendered unable to work for an extended period.
Click Here for More Information on the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program
The Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) announced Tuesday that 300 individuals submitted public comment concerning a proposed set of rules for the state’s newly-created Paid Family and Medical Leave Program.
According to a press release published by the MDOL Tuesday, comments were submitted by both employers and workers from a variety of economic sectors.
[RELATED: MDOL Receives 300 Public Comments on Proposed Rules for Paid Family and Medical Leave Program]
“Thank you to everyone who submitted public comments, whether online, in-person, or through the mail,” said Luke Monahan, Director of Paid Family and Medical Leave. “Your thoughts and feedback will help us continue to develop this new program in a way that will work for the State of Maine’s workers and businesses.”
The MDOL went on to explain that the Department will be reviewing each submission and may make changes to the proposed rules in response. The Department will then have the option of issuing an updated version of the rules for further public comment.
The Maine State Chamber of Commerce has argued that the proposed rules are in need of major revisions before they go into effect.
In a press release published Monday, the Chamber shared the contents of the letter they submitted to the Department during the public comment period.
“We appreciate the time and effort from the Department of Labor to implement this program under significant time pressure with financial contributions commencing in less than six months,” they wrote. “At the same time, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce believes the rules must be overhauled to be consistent with the statute, and there are numerous areas in the proposed rules that require clarification.”
Click Here to Read the Chamber’s Full Press Release
The Department must adopt a final set of rules for the program by January 1, 2025.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="29248 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=29248">1 Comment
Another political move for votes by the democrats. Our roof is leaking horribly due to blatant mismanagement and they want to sell us new furniture because it sounds nice. What’s sad is that their voters will focus on this and completely ignore our society being destroyed by the democrats.