YWCA Hamilton joins national push for legislation

YWCA Hamilton joined its sister branches from around the country on Wednesday to advocate for the passage of Senate bills that the organization said will help women and families, along with survivors of domestic violence.

In meetings with 60 Senators and 84 Representatives and their staff members, advocates from 100 local YWCAs across 40 states lobbied Congress for paid sick days, paid family and medical leave, and job-protected safe leave for survivors of domestic violence, according to YWCA Hamilton Executive Director Sherrie Bluester. The events were part of YWCA’s Advocacy Day.

Bluester, along with YWCA board member Ashley Willis and YWCA staff members Fran Reese and Reva Evans, met with the staff of Congressman Warren Davidson, R-Troy, and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, to discuss three bills.

They discussed the Family And Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act, which would establish a paid family and medical leave insurance program; the Healthy Families Act, which would set a paid sick days standard; and the Security and Financial Empowerment (SAFE) Act, which would ensure that domestic violence survivors who need services like medical attention and legal assistance can take leave from work, allow survivors who have to leave their jobs to receive unemployment insurance, and protect survivors from being fired because of harassment by an abuser.

The Family Act is important, Bluester said, because only 13 percent of the country’s workforce has paid family leave and less than 40 percent has personal medical leave.

“This act would provide works up to 12 weeks of partial income when they need leave for their own serious health condition or that of a close family member,” she said.

Evans said the SAFE Act “allows victims of domestic violence to take time off without penalty to make court appearances, seek legal assistance and get help with safety planning for themselves and family members.”

The Healthy Families Act would set a national paid sick day standard.

“Paid sick days provide families with economic security, paid sick days protect public health, and paid sick days decrease unnecessary health care costs,” Bluester said.

All three bills are still pending, and Bluester said there has been little indication they are going to be approved, which is why the YWCAs made their political push Wednesday.

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