Workers' Rights Advance at a Glacial Pace

categories: Children, Education, Federal, Government, Health & Healthcare, News, Policy, Social Programs, States, The Economy

Published June 30, 2009 @ 12:00PM PT

The Wall Street Journal heralds the advancement of family leave policies in Democratic-led states, noting in particular "Colorado and Nevada signed laws within the past month that give employees unpaid leave for school-related events, becoming the first states to do so in a decade."

Forgive me if I'm less than ebullient when I learn that in CO, it's 18 HOURS ANNUALLY unpaid for parents to attend school meetings (e.g., PTA conferences), though Nevada's gone all nutty in its generosity and allowed any school activity (e.g., soccer games). And that only 11 states have expanded on the Family Medical Leave Act from 1993.

Meanwhile, states (Dem and GOP alike!) gear up to fight Obama's plans to expand Medicaid to cover about one-third of the current uninsured. In fairness to them: they're too broke to pay for it. Point to the feds: States won't have to pay for it for awhile.

Welcome to the U.S.A.! Please check your family leave policies, universal healthcare, and workers' rights with the Immigration agent. Thank you for visiting the land of the free, harried and insecure!

(Photo of Worthington Youth Boosters "soccer tots". Looks like that little girl's parents couldn't make it. Photo by geocam20000)

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Author

Leigh is a PhD candidate in urban planning at MIT, and a consultant on U.S. Gulf Coast recovery. She sits on the Board of the Allston-Brighton Community Development Corporation in Boston, and has worked with non-profits, foundations and local governments on policies and programs aimed at reducing urban poverty and inequality.