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.

More about this issue:

May 13, 2022 | News Story

For theatre workers, the stage a is job site, and they are entitled to the same protections from the viewing public as workers interacting with any sort of client; inappropriate audience behavior can be a form of workplace harassment.

May 13, 2022 | News Story

The TIME Union announced plans for a one-day strike as their bargaining committee heads back into negotiations this week.

May 13, 2022 | News Story

“The Carbon Free and Healthy Schools plan would be transformational: it would institute energy audits and retrofits of each school, repair and replace HVAC systems, invest in climate resiliency upgrades, and electrify our fleet of school buses," write NYC Councilmembers Carmen De La Rosa and Rita

May 13, 2022 | News Story

Coalition of Immokalee Workers farmworkers were joined in Midtown by NYC elected officials, national shareholder advocates and area supporters for a major rally and street theater performance outside the offices of Trian Partners (280 Park Avenue), Wendy’s largest institutional shareholder.

May 13, 2022 | News Story

The AFL-CIO on Thursday called on the Biden administration to do its part to assist borrowers hampered by crippling debt, issuing the following statement:

May 13, 2022 | News Story

Across the country, we are seeing a great resurgence in worker organizing. Workers are striking in record numbers and winning uphill battles against corporate giants.

May 6, 2022 | News Story

North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) and Ørsted, the U.S. leader in offshore wind energy, announced a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) to construct the company’s U.S. offshore wind farms with an American union workforce.

May 6, 2022 | News Story

Workers at the Starbucks in Caesar's Bay Shopping Center in Bath Beach, Brooklyn won their NLRB election unanimously with a result of 17-0.

May 6, 2022 | News Story

Today, workers on the front lines of several new organizing efforts visited with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh.

May 6, 2022 | News Story

Actors’ Equity Association has opened a grievance against the licensors of the musical Waitress for double-breasting – profiting from union and non-union workers at the same time.