Advocates share praise, support for paid family medical leave bill sponsored by Sen. Daughtry
AUGUSTA — On Friday, Sen. Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, introduced LD 1559, “Resolve, To Create the Commission To Develop a Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Program,” at a public hearing before the Legislature’s Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill would create a commission to study and propose a comprehensive paid family medical leave program for Maine. Here’s what supporters are saying:
“Family values are Maine values, and we can all agree that no one should have to choose between receiving a paycheck and being there for their family in both the best of times, such as welcoming a newborn, and the hardest of times, like taking care of an elderly parent at the end of their life,” said House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford. “This resolve represents an important first step towards a policy that would result in greater stability for Maine’s businesses, improved health and economic outcomes for Maine children and families, and peace of mind for Maine seniors and new parents alike. “
“As a legislator, I’ve had numerous conversations with constituents centered around this topic. Typically they come from young families seeking leave following the birth or adoption of a child or folks of my own generation seeking elder care for a parent or spouse. On March 3, my daughter gave birth to my first grandchild, Evelyn Grace. Fortunately, living in Rhode Island, she was granted 12 weeks of leave giving her and Evelyn an opportunity to bond,” said Sen. Joe Rafferty, D-Kennebunk.
“The chance to bond with your children, care for a family member, or recover from an illness without the added stress of looming financial responsibilities is invaluable for everyone involved. Paid family and medical leave would allow parents facing medical uncertainties to concentrate on caring for their children, without having to worry about how they are going to pay their bills,” said Rep. Genevieve McDonald, D-Stonington, and primary cosponsor of the bill. “The ripple effect would be far reaching, with more people staying in their jobs, fewer families on the brink of bankruptcy, and employers finding they have a happier, and more productive workforce.”
“As a mission driven health care provider, we fundamentally believe everyone should be able to get affordable, high quality sexual and reproductive health care in their communities, no matter where they live or how much money they make and we advocate for policies that help make this vision a reality,” said Nicole Clegg, with Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. “It is this desire to improve the lives of our patients and the health of the community that leads us to support LD 1559 today. Nearly 70% of our patients are struggling financially, living at or below 200% of the federal poverty level and the majority, 86%, are women. We hear about their struggles to take care of their health and their families, which is why policies like paid family medical Leave are so important for attaining economic security.”
“Developing a system of [paid family and medical leave] for Maine is good for not only gender equity and racial equity but is good for our state’s economy and workforce. But to do it right — to develop a system that meets the needs of all families, that ensures adequate and progressive wage replacement, that includes job protection, and that meets the needs of small businesses — we need to bring state agencies, advocates, and experts to the table to identify the best system for Maine,” said Destie Hohman Sprague, Executive Director of Maine Women’s Lobby. “LD 1559 is the opportunity to assess the financial needs of such a system, to identify the resources and needs of different state agencies in implementing one, and to hear from the public.”
“While paid family and medical leave is a needed policy for all workers, it is particularly needed for low-income workers who often face impossible choices when trying to balance work and family,” said Kathy Kilrain del Rio, with Maine Equal Justice. “Lower-wage workers have less access to any form of leave, paid or unpaid, since they are more often employed in jobs with part-time or uncertain work schedules, have shorter job tenures, and typically work for smaller business that may not even meet the threshold for unpaid leave under the current Family and Medical Leave Act or Maine’s Family and Medical Leave statute. Nationally, 93 percent of low-wage workers (in the bottom quarter of wage earners) and 94 percent of part-time workers have no access to paid leave.”
“We want to encourage family members to take responsibility for caring for older relatives who can no longer live independently. We also want to make sure that Maine’s working caregivers remain active in our shrinking workforce. Workers need to know that they can take the time they need to responsibly deal with a serious health condition of a loved one without jeopardizing their jobs or plunging themselves into a financial worry,” said Jess Maurer, executive director of the Maine Council on Aging.
“We strongly support paid family leave because we see time and time again how the absence of paid family and medical leave in Maine means that survivors must rely on the income of the person abusing them, which compromises their options and resources to advance their safety needs,” said Andrea Mancuso, with Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence. “Paid leave can create the space for a survivor to pursue support for their own safety and trauma healing needs, as well as those of their children, without impacting the household budget, which better enables them to keep their jobs and advance in the workforce, which can ultimately make the difference in the creation and long-term maintenance of an independent household – separate from the abuser.”
“Staying home when a loved one is sick shouldn’t mean losing your pay, or even your job. Caring for a loved one can be expensive, stressful, and isolating. We must utilize every tool available to ensure workers in Maine – including family caregivers – have access to paid family leave,” said Pat Pinto, volunteer state president for AARP Maine.
“Paid family and medical leave will bring far-reaching and long-lasting economic benefits. Americans are estimated to suffer nearly $21 billion in lost wages because they lack access to paid family and medical leave programs. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In addition to lost wages, the economy suffers through increased rates of drop-out from the labor force, especially by women,” said James Myall, policy analyst at the Maine Center for Economic Policy. “Paid family and medical leave is one of the most effective policies to improve labor force participation for women. When women are able to fully take part in the economy, our economy grows faster, and women have more financial independence.”
“We are in the middle of a generation-defining pandemic. COVID-19 is causing the most harm to families whose jobs do not give them the flexibility to take any time away for a life event,” said Adam Zuckerman, with the Maine People’s Alliance. “Even without COVID, all workers will go through a time in their career when they have to care for a sick child, an elderly parent, partner, or themselves. Without paid family and medical leave, many Mainers can’t afford the time or have the income to leave work — even when family has to come first.”