Category Archives: ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

A Better Balance is delighted to announce the launch of the Earned Sick Time Advisor, a brand-new web tool that will provide individualized information to help workers understand and exercise their rights under the New York City Earned Sick Time Act! Through a series of plain-language questions, the Advisor allows workers to determine for themselves whether they qualify for paid or unpaid sick time, how many hours they have accrued, and when they may begin using it. ABB created the Advisor working in conjunction with Georgetown University Law Center and Neota Logic. This represents an exciting new outreach effort from A Better Balance, which helped to lead the campaign for sick time in New York City and continues to work around the country to enact similar protections in other cities and states.

Headlines from the Frontlines.

=========================================================================

Ms. Betzaida Cruz Cardona, who is due to have her first child in April, is homeless, broke, and out of a job, all because she was fired from her position as a Savers cashier when she announced she was pregnant. Without a paycheck, Ms. Cruz had to move out of her apartment and is now homeless and couch-surfing at seven months pregnant.

A Better Balance and Ms. Cruz are fighting back. We filed a discrimination charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of Ms. Cruz, with our partners at the law firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP. Together, we are working to ensure Ms. Cruz is adequately compensated for the unjust treatment she was subjected to at Savers.

A Better Balance believes that every woman in New York State deserves fair and equal treatment under the law. That’s why we are working to pass women’s equality bills before the state legislature, which, among other things, would clarify employers’ obligations to accommodate pregnant workers and prevent more women from losing income at the precise moment they need it most.

=====================================================

In Tennessee, A Better Balance worked with lawmakers to introduce the TN Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a bill that would ensure no woman has to choose between her health and her job in the state. The bill is sponsored by two Republicans (Rep. M. Hill & Sen. Massey). Second, we have worked with legislators on another bill that would authorize the state to apply for an implementation and feasibility study grant for paid family leave. This is an excellent opportunity to educate lawmakers and the public about the importance of paid family leave for family economic security, and as a public health measure. The bill has garnered bipartisan support and ABB will be available for questions at the subcommittee hearing this week. We are excited about organizing and leading a coalition of partners in support of these two fantastic bills!

ABB Southern Office Director with KY Representative Joni Jenkins

ABB Southern Office Director Elizabeth Gedmark with KY State Representative Joni Jenkins

Last Monday, Kentucky House Bill 218, called the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, unanimously passed out of the House Labor and Industry Committee. A Better Balance’s Southern Office Director, Elizabeth Gedmark, testified in support of the bill and shared testimony from our client Officer Lyndi Trischler. Officer Trischler was forced to take unpaid leave from her job with the Florence Police Department while pregnant last year. The economic hardship for her and women like her across the state and across the country is absolutely devastating. Officer Trischler and her 1-year-old daughter had to move out of their apartment because they could no longer afford to pay the rent.

ABB was in the audience as New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito championed some of the causes closest to our hearts in her State of the City address. The Speaker talked about the need for an adequate support system to allow working parents to be with their newborn baby, or to care for a child who is seriously ill, the importance of predictable and stable schedules, and committed to expanding laws that defend workers from discrimination based on caregiver status. We look forward to working with the Speaker and the rest of the city council on these and other issues important to working families.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

I lost my sister, husband, and mother

09/15/2015 Nativegrl77

Petitioning President of the United States

Declare August 30th National Grief Awareness Day

Petition by National Grief Awareness Day

13,963

Supporters

Sign the petition

My name is Angie Cartwright.

I’ve endured a lot of loss in my life, starting with my baby sister when I was 5 years-old. In 1996, I lost my husband to a car wreck, and my mother died of a drug overdose in 2010. By then, I was paralyzed with grief.

I am now dedicated to raising awareness about bereavement and helping those experiencing grief to heal. I’m asking President Obama to make August 30th National Grief Awareness Day. Why?

By reaching out to hundred of thousands of grievers on social media for the past four years, I found that healing can only take place when grief is not shamed, rushed or tabooed. This is how I found my own healing. Unfortunately, we live in a world that sees grief differently. When we lose someone, we are told to move on and to get over our sadness, because grief is commonly perceived as something that needs to be fixed. As a result, the bereaved feel misunderstood, and they end up grieving in silence, while the topic of death becomes a stronger taboo.

And silent grief can become deadly grief. I’ve seen it too many times.

Having National Grief Awareness Day recognized by our government will be the first milestone in opening our eyes to a serious issue that has never been properly addressed. This way we’ll start seeing grief as the natural consequence of the love we have for someone we’ve lost.

Please, join me in asking President Barack Obama to declare August 30th as a day of awareness and education around grief.

Why August 30th? I picked this day because it’s my mom’s birthday.

This petition is also supported by #1MMemories, a movement where people are sharing 1 million memories of loved ones they’ve lost with the hashtag #1MMemories, via Twitter or Instagram.

All these memories will be beautifully gathered at 1MMemories.com, and then printed in a one-of-a-kind book that we will hand to President Barack Obama, along with the 1 million signatures supporting this petition.

Both your signature and you joining the #1MMemories movement will help millions of grievers.

With all my love,

Angie Cartwright, Founder of National Grief Awareness Day

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Caroline Pla, age 13 & Marycecelia Pla via Change.org

09/15/2015 Nativegrl77

Last year, my mom and I won our Change.org petition to let girls in my city play football, but now the Archdiocese (which runs the sports program) has changed its mind. Sign my mom’s new petition to let girls play!

Sign the petition

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Holder backs proposal to reduce drug sentences … the change would rein in runaway federal prison costs and create a fairer criminal justice system.

09/14/2015 Nativegrl77

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Animals returning from the pet groomer injured or dead

09/14/2015 Nativegrl77

Petitioning Amy Paulin, Vivian Cook, Kenneth Zebrowski, Earlene Hooper, David McDonough, Linda Rosenthal, L. Dean Murray, Thomas Abinanti, John Ceretto, Jeffrey Dinowitz, Nick Perry, Annette Robinson, Joseph S…