Chairs Miller and Woolsey Statement on Republicans Blocking Work-Life Balance Award Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Reps. George Miller (D-CA), chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, issued the following joint statement after House Republicans blocked legislation that would have recognized employers that help their employees achieve a healthy work-life balance.
The bill was considered under the suspension of the rules, which requires at least a two-thirds vote for passage. However, the legislation failed after 147 Republicans voted to block the motion to suspend the rules and pass the legislation.
“We are disappointed that Republicans fail to understand the importance of recognizing businesses that offer family-friendly policies,” Woolsey and Miller said. “Encouraging workplaces to develop these policies go to the heart of how we value our nation’s families and our economic competitiveness. Employers that recognize the value of helping their employees achieve a work-life balance should be recognized and copied. It’s a shame Republicans don’t agree.”
The Work-Life Balance Award Act of 2010 (H.R. 4855) would establish an award at the U.S. Department of Labor to recognize workplaces with exemplary work-life practices, such as paid family leave and assistance with child care. Criteria for the award would have been developed by a bipartisan advisory board consisting of representatives from the public, state and local government, industry and industry organizations, not-for-profit employers, labor, and advocates for children and families.
It is supported by: The National Partnership for Women & Families; 9to5, National Association of Working Women; A Better Balance: The Work and Family Legal Center; Business and Professional Women’s Foundation; Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP); Coalition of Labor Union Women; Labor Project for Working Families; Legal Momentum; National Association of Mothers’ Centers and its MOTHERS Initiative; OWL—The Voice of Midlife and Older Women; Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); and WorldatWork.
Next Article