Walmart. On one hand we have the Walton family—Walmart’s owners. With almost $150 billion in wealth, they are the richest family in the nation. On the other hand, we have Walmart workers, most of whom work for less than $25,000 a year. Most are women. And this Thanksgiving, more than 1 million of them have to go to work instead of spending the full day with their families.
It’s November – a month many associate with Thanksgiving, the day next week when families and friends across the country will come together to celebrate the things they’re grateful for. But November is also National Family Caregivers Month, and tens of millions of women and men in this country who...
There’s an old saying: “For want of a nail, a shoe was lost, For want of a shoe, a horse was lost, For want of a horse, a battle was lost, For want of a battle, a kingdom was lost, And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.” One small thing can lead to big consequences.
In recognition of National Family Caregivers Month in November, the broad-based coalition of organizations pushing for the Family And Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act are rallying online to call attention to family caregivers’ need for supportive workplace polices like the national paid family and medical leave program the FAMILY Act would establish. The effort is being hosted by Family Values @ Work, MomsRising and the National Partnership for Women and Families.
I am a woman of many skills and trades — I have been a school teacher, and served on the board of my school district’s union. I am a board member of 9to5 Atlanta. I am a Reverend, and like the Apostle Paul, who was a tentmaker to supplement his ministry income, nine years ago the Lord placed me in a job as a home caregiver. I was in total shock when I found out that, in such an important role as caregiver, I would only be making minimum wage, and receive no benefits.
It's time for a celebratory fist bump! Paid sick days WON BIG at the polls on Election Day. Now, it’s time for the next step: Taking paid sick days to Congress. This is a boost for families, our economy, and... our leaders.
This post, authored by Traci Donnelly, originally appeared on TalkPoverty.org . A minimum wage increase will not help families exit poverty by itself – we need other work supports that ease the economic strain on families. TalkPoverty.org is dedicated to demonstrating that we know how to...