Paid Family and Medical Leave

Working together, we can create a Minnesota that works for everyone – rich and poor, black, brown and white, young and old. And ISAIAH is forceful in its effects to make this a reality.

The legislature has already passed a bill for 100% Clean Energy by 2040 and Governor Walz has signed it into law! Minnesota citizens joined with ISAIAH and a coalition of related organizations to demand action that will impact climate for generations to come. We rejoice that this is already accomplished.

This month’s our focus is on Paid Family and Medical Leave, a benefit for workers that nearly every other country in the developing world provides. No one, regardless of income, occupation, race or gender, should be forced to choose between caring for a loved one and a paycheck. Whether a birth or adoption, medical illness or death, we deserve time to care.

This plan would be similar to unemployment insurance, the cost for which is sharing by employees and employers though very modest contributions each week. If a family or medical need is documented by a medical professional, a progressive partial wage replacement (55-90%) would be paid during the leave, while protecting job and healthcare benefits. A leave could be as little as 7 days or as long as 12 weeks, depending on need.

If your employer provides paid leave, consider yourself lucky. Only 25% of employees in Minnesota have such a benefit. This plan would expand the privilege to the other 75%.

The plan is not without opponents, so it is important to speak up for passage of the bill. Talk about the concept with your family and friends, call or email your legislators, write a letter to the editor. You voice is important. You can also join a March 8 Northfield delegation to the capitol and lobby for this and other ISAIAH priorities.

For additional details about the proposal, to join the March 8 trip, or to add your name to our ISAIAH-NUMC Team, contact Evelyn Burry (507-645-7481, evelynburry@hotmail.com.)