WHEREAS:
For 15 years, the Family and Medical Leave Act has worked well, providing more than 60 million working Americans with unpaid time off to care for themselves or their families; and

WHEREAS:
This year marks the first time the FMLA has been expanded in any way.  Now, military families will be able to take up to 26 weeks of job-protected leave to help care for service members injured in combat.  In addition, military family members will be able to use the traditional 12 week FMLA allotment to help them deal with the deployment of a close relative; and

WHEREAS:
With the economy in distress and families under pressure, instead of working to further expand this critical law so more could benefit from its protections and flexibility, the Bush Labor Department has proposed new regulations concerning reporting, certification and medical requirements that would make it harder for workers to use FMLA leave; and

WHEREAS:
Millions of workers cannot afford to take the unpaid leave the law provides.  In fact, 78 percent of those needing, but not taking, the FMLA leave state this as the reason for not doing so; and

WHEREAS:
Since 2004, California, Washington and New Jersey have enacted legislation providing paid family leave; and

WHEREAS:
In addition to proposed legislation in four other states, federal legislation providing paid family and medical leave is currently being considered.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That while AFSCME supports the added benefits available for military families, we oppose the proposed restrictive changes to the FMLA regulations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
To ensure that families do not have to choose between paying their bills and caring for family members, AFSCME urges Congress and/or the states to enact legislation providing paid family leave for workers who need time off to care for a new child, a seriously ill family member, or to recover from their own serious illness.
 
 
SUBMITTED BY: Sherryl Gordon, Executive Director and Delegate
AFSCME Council 1
New Jersey