Senate Bill Would Provide Paid Family Leave

by Mike Hall, AFL-CIO (reposted)

Fri, Jun 29, 2007 7:09AM

Thursday, June 28, 2007 : Yesterday we reported on the thousands and thousands of workers who told the U.S. Department of Labor that the Family and Medical Leave Act ( FMLA ) has made significant differences in their lives by allowing them unpaid time off during illnesses and birth or adoption of children.

But they also told the Labor Department - part of a solicitation of comments from workers and employers about their experience with regulations that implement FMLA - the act could be improved, especially by providing paid leave.

A bipartisan bill recently introduced in the Senate would do just that. The Family Leave Insurance Act of 2007 (bill number not yet assigned) would provide up to eight weeks of paid leave for workers needing time off for the birth or adoption of a child, or for their own or a family member's serious illness.

Introduced by Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), chief sponsor of the FMLA when it was enacted in 1993, and Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), the new bill would establish an insurance fund where employers, employees and the federal government would share the costs.

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For more information: http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/06/28/senate-b...

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