Family Values @ Work Decries the Cutting of Paid Family Leave from Build Back Better

(WASHINGTON, DC)––Family Values @ Work is a movement network of grassroots coalitions in more than two dozen states working to win paid family and medical leave, earned sick and safe days, and affordable, high-quality childcare at the state and national levels. Today, Executive Director Josephine Kalipeni released the following statement reacting to the cutting of paid family leave from the Build Back Better proposal:

“We, and our network of grassroots organizers, are outraged and deeply disappointed to learn that in the midst of a pandemic and record female job loss, Biden’s campaign promise of paid leave for all was cut from the Build Back Better proposal. Despite weeks of advocacy from working families and weeks of negotiations, two Senators, deeply engaged in self-dealing, used the tight Senate vote margins to completely cut out policies that impact the livelihoods of working families, instead of showing up for the people who elected them into office. These elected officials held the needs of our families hostage to please their backers. And they targeted paid leave, despite the urgent need for such a program and its overwhelming popularity among voters of all political views and a broad range of partners.

The current compromise does include meaningful transformative investments in childcare, homecare, and Medicare – issues our Network has worked hard to win. These investments promote early child development, increase financial security for parents of young children, and better value the work of caregivers. These are all critical gains in care for children and dependent adults. But their impact will be greatly reduced by the lack of paid family and medical leave. The exclusion of paid leave also relegates millions of people to physical or financial hardship when they themselves are ill.

Nothing is more important than being there for family. We all deserve time to care for ourselves and the ones we love. Paid leave and childcare are key building blocks of racial and gender justice. They position Black and Brown families and caregivers to gain economic security and access opportunities in the workplace. Without this policy, many families will be unable to gain financial security, and we will continue to see unsustainable job loss for women.

The FV@W Network has always fought for economic equity for all families, including robust, comprehensive, universal paid family and medical leave policy that covers everyone and that builds equity by including provisions that ensure that all families, particularly people of color least likely to have time to care, have access to paid leave. Our member groups in the state have won such policies in the states and seen the enormous benefits to individuals, families, businesses and public health. While we are furious about Congress’ decision not to include paid leave in the Build Back Better proposal, we are committed all the more to seeing the passage of a robust, permanent paid leave policy ahead of the next Congressional election cycles. We’re clear that exclusion of paid leave for all in Build Back Better must mean the passage of the FAMILY Act as the top domestic Congressional priority for 2022. Our network will continue advocating for working families of all types, and in all locations, to have access to the critical supports that they’ve earned and deserve.”

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