Work and Family

Although the “traditional” family—a father who works outside the home and financially supports the children and a mother whose work is keeping the house and raising the children—has been disappearing for more than a generation, our workplaces and government policies have not kept pace with America’s new reality.
Most children are growing up in homes with both parents working or with single parents. One-third of workers don’t have access to paid sick leave, and only 42 percent have paid personal leave. What’s the impact on public health when working people can’t afford to take sick days during a flu epidemic? Who takes care of a sick child? Who’s home to fix dinner and help with homework? Who can dedicate time to a sick elderly parent?
The recession and jobless recovery have complicated life further for working families, when having to leave work for a family emergency could lead to long-term unemployment.
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It’s the “Summer of Hell” in New York City, and it seems like everyone has an opinion on how to fix the failing NYC subway system. Thankfully, the people most qualified to provide solutions have spoken: the workers who operate and maintain the subway system every single day.
Last week, workers at neighborhood news sites DNAinfo and Gothamist marked 100 days since they informed their employer they had joined the Writers Guild of America, East.
Union workers at Waldner’s, one of the city’s largest office furniture companies, continued their fight against the company this week.
Every morning, parents in New York watch their children get on the school bus, entrusting their safety to bus drivers, attendants, and mechanics. These workers have the responsibility of maintaining a secure and safe environment.
This week, the NYC CLC announced Workers United, SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Edgar Romney as our 2017 Labor Day Parade Grand Marshal, and IATSE Local One President/IATSE VP James J. Claffey, Jr. as our Parade Chair.
Join Toxic Free NYC for a town hall on mold and what New York City can do to protect tenants and combat this hazardous micro-organism!