BPW/MI Monday Minute February 11^th, 2008

Policy & Action is this week in Washington, D.C.  You can help support our efforts by lobbying from home.  Contact your US Senators and Representative to support the legislation listed below.

Fair Pay Restoration Act. (S. 1843)  This act would reverse the Supreme Court’s decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and help to ensure that individuals subjected to unlawful compensation discrimination are able to effectively assert their rights under the federal antidiscrimination laws.  The Ledbetter decision upsets decades of precedent and severely limits workers’ ability to vindicate their rights. Under the Ledbetter rule, victims of compensation discrimination have no recourse against that discrimination unless they file a charge within 180 days of the employer’s discriminatory decision, even when the discrimination continues into the present.  S. 1843 would reinstate the “paycheck accrual rule,” under which each discriminatory paycheck triggers a new claim filing period.            

Both Senators Stabenow and Levin are cosponsors.  Thank them and ask that the Representatives introduce similar legislation in the House.

Family Leave Insurance Act (S 1681).  This bill is only in the Senate and has very little support.  It was introduced by Senator Dodd, a Democrat from CT and Senator Stevens, a Republican from AK.  It would provide eight weeks of paid leave a year for the birth of a child, placement of foster child or adopted child, care for a child, parent or spouse with a serious medical condition or the employee having a serious medical condition.  The cost of the insurance is shared by employees, employers and the federal government and participation is mandatory for those employers with more than 50 employees.      

Neither Senator is a co-sponsor.  Ask them to sign onto the bill and ask the Representatives to sponsor a similar bill in the House.

Heart for Women Act (S 573 and HR 1014).  This act is designed to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and stroke by authorizing grants for education on heart disease, requiring currently collected data on heart disease be stratified by gender as well as race and ethnicity and improving screening by expanding the WISEWOMAN program from the current 14 states to all 50.

This is Senator Stabenow’s baby.  Senator Levin is a co-sponsor as is Rep. Stupak.  Please thank them and ask the rest to join as co-sponsors.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Susan Dehncke

VP Legislation