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January 2006Alito's confirmation threatens family and medical leaveEarlier this month Samuel A. Alito Jr. testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as the next US Supreme Court Justice. His confirmation will go to a vote before the full Senate this week. While his confirmation will likely become a reality, advocates for working people remain concerned about the future for America's working families if Alito holds a seat on the Supreme Court. During his confirmation hearings in the Senate, Alito was questioned about a 2000 court opinion in which he held that state employees are not entitled to leave time under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and that state governments should not be required to provide FMLA leave. FMLA allows workers to take unpaid time off from work to care for serious family or health concerns without the fear of losing their jobs. Congress enacted FMLA largely to address the gender discrimination that many women experience in the workplace when they request time off work during pregnancy or after the birth of a child. However, Alito stated that he found no evidence of gender discrimination to justify this leave requirement. When reminded that one in four individuals taking FMLA leave are women with pregnancy-related issues, he said that he was unaware of these facts — showing a great misunderstanding and lack of concern for working women. In response, the National Partnership for Women and Families, along with the AFSCME Women's Rights Department and the Black Women's Health Imperative issued a press release attacking Alito's claims; a message that was echoed by many women's organizations across the country. Samuel A. Alito Jr. is not a fitting replacement for former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who upheld the rights of women, and voted in favor of protections for workers and their families. If confirmed, 5 million state workers could lose their rights to FMLA leave. In addition many of the laws created to support equal opportunity, fairness in the workplace, and the private rights of women will be threatened. We encourage you to talk with other AFSCME women about Alito's confirmation and what this means for hardworking women and their families. For more information on Alito and the future of FMLA please visit the Justice Matters Action Center. 2005: A year of political achievements for womenThis past year women all across the world succeeded in gaining political ground and paving the way for women leaders of the future. The year marked the election of three national women leaders. In Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf succeeded in winning the presidency as well as the distinction of the first elected women president on the entire continent of Africa. In Chile, Michelle Bachelet became the first ever woman president in the country and in all of Latin America. Finally in Germany, Angela Merkel became the country's first elected woman chancellor. Japanese woman also came out to support the right of women to lead their country. This month the Japanese government will submit a bill to parliament that will allow female children of monarchs to ascend the country's throne, breaking the historical tradition of a male-only government. In the Middle East, women continue to fight for their rights, often in the face of great personal danger. However, some women are stepping forward to fight institutionalized discriminatory practices and create better opportunities for their countrywomen. In Iraq and Afghanistan, women came out in record numbers to vote and run for office in recent elections. In Afghanistan, 68 women won seats in the 249-member legislature. This makes Afghan women more than 25 percent of the first parliament system in over 30 years. In Saudi Arabia, women worked hard to open the doors for women leaders. After petitioning and advocating for the right of women to run for office, two Saudi businesswomen became the first female elected officials in the history of the country. This was an exciting year for women in politics. Worldwide, the number of women officials in parliamentary governments reached 16 percent. However, we still have a way to go — especially in the US! We encourage you to share this information with your friends, family, and co-workers, and empower other women to get involved with politics at all levels. Women leaders can improve women's lives and ensure that the working women everywhere have voice in our government — when women lead, women win! Interested in running for office?In the past few decades women have made great strides in civil rights, the labor force, and the economy. However, the number of women in elected office remains a very small minority. Currently women hold only 11 percent of the seats in Congress, despite the fact that women are 51 percent of the US population. There are currently only eight women governors, and only 26 in the history of our country. We need your help! If you've ever thought about running for office in your city, county or state, now is the time. The first step to launching a successful campaign is to signup for training from the campaign experts. This spring EMILY's List, as part of its Political Opportunity Program (POP), will run training programs across the US to help recruit, train, and support women to run for state and local offices. Currently scheduled trainings include: Feb. 3-4th : St. Paul, MN Additional trainings are also planned for CO, MI, MO, NH, NY, PA, TX and WI, with dates forthcoming. For more information please visit the EMILY's List website. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reinstates information on women workers!Last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) discontinued the Women Workers Data Series which contains gender-specific information on employment rate, labor trends, earning data, and other important information. This type of data is critical for employers, policymakers, labor leaders and advocates who are working to increase and improve women's employment opportunities. The Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) led the charge to save this data series, and successfully mobilized partners from across the country. Senators Kennedy, Harkin, Lautenberg, and Clinton, several other Congress members, as well as a number of women's organizations helped to put forth and promote an amendment to require the BLS to reinstate the collection of the Women Workers Data Series. The amendment was signed into law this December, and new data will be available later this year. For more information of the Women Workers Data Series please see the BLS publication: Women in the Labor Force: A Databook. Do you know a college senior interested in worker's rights?This spring AFSCME will host Union Spring Break 2006 for college seniors interested in fighting for justice and organizing for workers' rights! The program will include five intensive days of training and organizing, and students will have the opportunity to talk with workers, participate in campaign planning strategy, and meet with community leaders seeking advice and support. All participants will learn the AFSCME organizing model, which links grassroots organizing with a rigorous analysis of the power relationships that influence workers' lives. We encourage you to pass this message along to any students who may be interested in this opportunity. For more information please visit AFSCME's Union Spring Break 2006 webpage. www.afscme.org/springbreak/index.html WomENews is produced by the Women's Rights Department and written by Amy Vance.
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