New Report, "Winning the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act," Details Inside Story of Passage as Historic Civil Rights Legislation Goes Into Effect June 27th

NEW YORK, June 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, leading national work-family justice organization A Better Balance released a new report, "Winning The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act," detailing the inside story on the decade-long movement for passage of this groundbreaking new civil rights law and imparting lessons learned for fellow advocates, grassroots organizers, lawmakers, congressional staff, and the public seeking to advance progressive workplace rights.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which passed at the end of 2022 in the omnibus spending package and goes into effect on June 27th, requires that employers provide reasonable accommodations to allow pregnant and postpartum workers to continue working while protecting their health, and is the most significant civil rights victory our country has seen in decades.

Read "Winning the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act" here

"The passage of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act will truly change the health and economic trajectory for millions of women and families, and its significance as a political victory should be regarded as a roadmap for other campaigns for years to come. Policy wins to create more just workplaces and advance gender, racial, and economic justice in this country are possible," said A Better Balance Co-Founder and Co-President Dina Bakst. "We are so grateful for the hard work of dedicated legislative champions, the women who shared their stories of pregnancy discrimination and demanded better, and the hundreds of organizations and individuals who never gave up."

Passing a major piece of civil rights legislation in a heavily partisan and divided Congress took over a decade of savvy advocacy, sustained pressure, and movement-building. In the report, A Better Balance shares key tactics and strategies that led to this victory in the final moments of the 2022 legislative session, including: 

• Centering workers' voices as experts and leaders on the devastating impact of pregnancy discrimination in the workplace
• Making progress in the states with the passage of over two dozen state pregnant workers fairness laws
• Gaining support from the business community, including with a robust and strategic partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• Building a broad coalition and engaging diverse stakeholders, including labor, maternal health, women's rights, civil rights, and faith groups

As the report highlights, laws are only meaningful if workers know their rights and can exercise them. The next challenge that lies ahead is to implement, enforce, and educate the public about the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. A Better Balance's free, confidential work-family legal helpline will be available to directly assist pregnant and postpartum workers with questions about their rights under the law.

ABOUT A BETTER BALANCE: A Better Balance is a national nonprofit legal advocacy organization dedicated to advancing justice for workers, so they can care for themselves and their loved ones without jeopardizing their economic security. Its expert legal team combats discrimination against pregnant workers and caregivers, and advances supportive policies for families like paid sick time, paid family and medical leave, fair scheduling, and accessible, quality childcare and eldercare.

In 2012, A Better Balance launched the movement for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and has led the decade-long campaign for its passage. A Better Balance Co-President Dina Bakst testified twice in Congress in support of the legislation, first in 2019 and then in March 2021. A Better Balance's legal analysis, which found that 2/3 of pregnant workers are losing their accommodations cases in court, and direct support of pregnant women through its free work-family legal helpline have been central to making the case for the PWFA.

MC:
Katie O'Brien
kobrien@abetterbalance.org

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SOURCE A BETTER BALANCE