THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL INSURANCE LEAVE (FAMILY) ACT

WHEREAS, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced legislation that would create paid family and medical leave. The Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act would establish a national, paid family and medical leave insurance program, ensuring that American workers would no longer have to choose between a paycheck and caring for themselves or a family member. This legislation allows for time when a newborn child or a dying parent needs care, and will not force an individual to choose between loved ones and their career or financial future to do the right thing for their family; and

WHEREAS, with the FAMILY Act, Congress can meet the needs of working families, employers and our economy. It is simply unacceptable that people have to lose a paycheck or their jobs because they have a baby, get seriously ill or have a loved one who needs care; and

WHEREAS, family and medical leave insurance increases labor-force participation and employee retention, has limited and positive impacts on business operations, increases lifetime earnings and retirement security among workers, especially women, and increases the use of leave among working fathers; and

WHEREAS, the FAMILY Act would create an independent trust fund within the Social Security Administration to collect fees and provide benefits. This trust would be funded by employee and employer contributions of 0.2 percent of wages each, creating a self-sufficient program that would not add to the federal budget. The expected cost to the average worker would be similar to the expense of a cup of coffee a week. Benefit levels, modeled on existing successful state programs in California and New Jersey, would equal 66 percent of an individual's typical monthly wages up to a capped monthly amount that would be indexed for inflation; and

WHEREAS, the FAMILY Act makes leave available to every individual regardless of the size of his or her current employer and regardless of whether such individual is currently employed by an employer, self-employed or currently unemployed, as long as the person has sufficient earnings and work history:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers will support this legislation and promote its prompt passage and enactment; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will educate its membership about the importance of this act and enlist their support to campaign vigorously for its passage.