Together

Statement

‘A Momentous Day for Maryland’

January 12, 2018

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement from Ruth Martin, Vice President, Workplace Justice Campaigns at MomsRising.org, a national online and on-the-ground organization of more than 30,000 Maryland members and more than 1 million mothers and their families across the country, on the Maryland State Senate’s vote to override Gov. Hogan’s veto of HB1

“This afternoon, the Maryland State Senate followed the House of Delegates’ lead by voting to override Governor Hogan’s veto of HB1. After years of waiting and advocating for this bill, earned sick days will finally be a reality for workers in our state. This is a huge victory for Maryland’s working families and a momentous day for Maryland.

“More than 700,000 Maryland workers have suffered without paid sick days for too long, forced to make the awful choice between taking time off work to recuperate – or to stay home with a sick child – and earning a paycheck. Thanks to the Healthy Working Families Act, hundreds of thousands of workers will now be able to earn sick leave, ensuring that they can take the time they need when they or a family member falls ill, without risking their job. This law will give financial security and peace of mind to workers and stability to Maryland businesses. It will be a boon for our families, our economy and our public health.

“MomsRising is proud to have been part of the powerful Working Matters Coalition, which has provided essential leadership in the push to pass HB1. But ultimately, this victory belongs to the thousands of Marylanders who wrote letters, called their legislators, visited the State Capitol and shared their personal stories about why they need paid sick leave. It’s thanks to their tireless advocacy that this bill will now become law.”

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.

News release

MomsRising CEO and a Keynote Speaker at the Women's March on Washington Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner Presents a Groundbreaking, Definitive Guide on How to Create Change in Today's Women's Movement

March 29, 2018

#KeepMarching

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

It’s 2018, but women, on average, earn just 80 cents to a man's dollar, with moms and women of color experiencing increased wage hits: Latinas earn only 54 cents for every man’s dollar, Black women 63 cents, and Native American women 57 cents. Moms earn only 71 cents to a dad’s dollar. Here are a few more stats: one out of every three women will experience some form of sexual violence in her lifetime; women are only 6 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs; women are 30 percent more likely to live in poverty than men. These are only just a few of the barriers that women face in America that are outlined in this action-oriented guide by Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, cofounder and CEO of MomsRising, a nonprofit with over 1 million members.

KEEP MARCHING: How Every Woman Can Take Action and Change Our World (Hachette Books; May 1, 2018) answers the question that many women were confronted with after the 2017 March on Washington: What do we do next? And this book provides the answer to that. KEEP MARCHING is a thorough, well-researched guide, comprised of straightforward How To’s, lists of policy recommendations, stories from women across the nation, and strategies on how we can each foster change in today’s movement for women’s equality and equity. With candor and an unflinching passion, Kristin narrates the struggles and successes of every day women. Each chapter is supported by powerful data, anecdotal pieces of evidence, and concrete tips for moving forward—whether it’s how to run for office or why women’s biggest problem isn’t just the glass ceiling. It leaves readers with one essential fact—women are a powerful force.

We can succeed, and have succeeded, in spite of the challenges that confront us; but our work isn’t done.

In the process of unpacking systemic biases that contribute to the wage gap, rape culture, the high levels of maternal mortality, and the growing rate of incarcerated women, just to name a few of the topics covered in the book, Kristin shows us the power women have in numbers to implement change. Her book provides the tools, incentive, and information we need to lead, come together, and rise. Ultimately, Kristin will have you nodding in affirmation, fuming in frustration, and fully charged up to make a difference. KEEP MARCHING is the must-have book for every woman in 2018, as we keep marching to change our communities and our country for the better.

Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner is the cofounder and CEO of MomsRising, an organization with over a million members across the nation working to increase economic security, decrease discrimination, and to build a nation where everyone can thrive. She has also been published and featured in numerous outlets, including: Politico, USA Today, CNN, MSNBC, TIME, The Guardian, the Washington Post, and HuffPost.

KEEP MARCHING

How Every Woman Can Take Action and Change Our World

By Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner

Hachette Books | May 1, 2018 | $16.99 | Original Paperback | 336 Pages | 9780316515566

For more information about KEEP MARCHING or to schedule an interview with Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, please contact Marisol Salaman at Marisol.Salaman@hbgusa.com or 212-364-1214.

DID YOU KNOW THAT:

Hot-Button Topics from Keep Marching

The U.S. doesn’t have paid family/medical leave but 177 other countries do?
One in three women have experienced some form of sexual assault?
When a group includes more women, its collective intelligence rises?
More than 2.7 million children in the U.S. have an incarcerated parent, and approximately 10 million children have experienced parental incarceration at some point in their lives?
For every 100,000 births, 43.5 black women die, compared to 12.7 deaths among white women and 14.4 deaths among women of all other races?
After the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, which covered birth control without co-pay, the abortion rate in our nation was at a historic low?
Women who are physically abused by current or former intimate partners are five times more likely to be murdered when one of the partners owns a firearm?

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Statement

Moms Demand Fair Pay, Equal Opportunity

May 30, 2018

Equal Pay, Workplace Justice

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

“Today marks how long mothers in the United States have to work into the new year to earn what fathers were paid in the previous calendar year. In every single state, moms are paid less than dads. That is disgraceful. This persistent wage discrimination doesn’t just hurt moms -- it causes great financial insecurity for families and damages our economy.

“Many moms are the primary or only breadwinner for their families, yet mothers in this country are paid, on average, just 71 cents for every dollar paid to dads. The wages of moms of color are hit even harder: Black moms earn just 54 cents; Latina moms 46 cents; Native American moms 49 cents; and Asian American Pacific Islander moms 85 cents, with some Asian-American subgroups paid significantly less. Single moms suffer a punishing wage gap as well, earning on average just 57 cents for every dollar paid to dads.

“Our country claims to value mothers, but these numbers reveal the truth: Women are punished financially when they become mothers. In fact, becoming a mother is now a greater predictor of wage and hiring discrimination than being a woman, and it puts moms at a lifelong economic disadvantage.

“Lawmakers know exactly how they can boost mothers, families, communities and our economy by championing pro-family policies like: paycheck and workplace fairness; paid family and medical leave; affordable, high-quality early learning opportunities, like childcare and pre-K; earned sick days; accommodations for pregnant workers; and a higher minimum wage.

“It’s time to stop just paying lip service to moms. Our elected officials must take real action to close the wage gap. Moms are a powerful force for change in this country, and we will continue to speak out until we achieve fair pay and equal opportunity in the workplace.”

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Statement

Moms Leader: Kavanaugh Nomination Is an Attack on Women, Moms and Families

July 10, 2018

Workplace Justice, Health Care, Immigration

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement from Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, CEO and executive director of MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to serve as an associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court:

“The moms of America recognize President Trump’s nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh as the direct attack on women’s rights and freedoms that it is. If he is confirmed, Kavanaugh would alter the balance on the U.S. Supreme Court in ways that cause lasting damage to our ability to live and work free from discrimination, to get the health care and education we and our families need, and to block President Trump’s sexist, racist, xenophobic, anti-immigrant agenda.

“The U.S. Supreme Court ended its term last week with a trio of terrible rulings: a 5-4 vote to uphold President Trump’s Islamophobic and destructive Muslim Ban; a 5-4 vote that will harm unions and the workers who count on them; and 5-4 vote damaging women’s ability to get the reproductive health care they seek. If the U.S. Senate confirms Kavanaugh, we will face many more rulings that damage our lives and our country for generations to come.

“With the Trump administration working every day to sabotage the Affordable Care Act (ACA), our and our children’s health care is very much on the line. One more U.S. Supreme Court justice supportive of Trump’s agenda could mean 130 million people with pre-existing conditions lose their health insurance coverage. A tremendous amount is at risk for women and families, in particular: Being able to choose if we want children, how many to have, and when to have them is core to our personal freedoms and economic security. Reliable birth control and reproductive choices that permit women to manage if and how many children we want and when we want them has been nothing short of revolutionary – not just for women, mothers and families, but for our country. It has helped to narrow the gender pay gap, improved our health and that of our families, and enhanced our access to economic and political power. This is no small matter. An article in the American Economic Journal concluded: Estimates imply that the Pill can account for 10 percent of the convergence of the gender gap in the 1980s and 30 percent in the 1990s. Yet the Trump administration wants to take away the contraceptive coverage guarantees the ACA provides and has nominated a justice with a history of diminishing women’s rights.

“Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh is a direct attack on our health care and on women, moms and families. Kavanaugh is wrong for our nation. We must come together to overcome all court-sanctioned racism and xenophobia – and to build a nation where everyone can thrive. That begins with the U.S. Senate refusing to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.”

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Statement

President Trump: Put Your Empathy Where It Belongs

September 18, 2018

Workplace Justice, Early Care & Education, Health Care, Immigration

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement from Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, CEO and executive director of MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on President Trump’s comments about Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who has been accused of sexual assault:

“We await the day when President Trump shows the slightest bit of empathy or compassion for a victim of sexual harassment, sexual assault or sexual violence in any form. The President’s comments today, that he feels ‘terribly’ and ‘badly’ for Judge Brett Kavanaugh – who he called ‘a great gentlemen’ in the wake of allegations that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted a high school classmate – demonstrate, once again, that this President’s values are not our country’s values. The President’s empathy is misplaced at best.

“When Anita Hill bravely stepped forward in 1991 to share the abuse she suffered from Justice Clarence Thomas, the U.S. Senate’s response was disgraceful and it galvanized women for a generation. Senators must do better now. We expect them to treat Dr. Blasey Ford with respect and to give her claims serious consideration.

“Let’s be clear: The U.S. Senate had strong reason to refuse to confirm Kavanaugh before these allegations became public, based on the overwhelming evidence that he would deny families the health care and education they need, cause lasting damage to our ability to live and work free from discrimination, and support President Trump’s sexist, racist, xenophobic, anti-immigrant agenda. The sexual assault allegations are even more reason for alarm. The Senate has every reason to reject Kavanaugh for a lifetime position on our highest court.”

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Statement

On 40th Anniversary of Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Moms Leader Urges Congress to Prioritize Passage of Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

October 31, 2018

Workplace Justice

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement from Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, CEO and executive director of MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the imperative to do more to prevent discrimination against pregnant workers on the 40th anniversary of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

“Forty years after the Pregnancy Discrimination Act became law, pregnant workers in this country still face discrimination every day. It is disgraceful that so many working women are fired or denied jobs or promotions simply because they become pregnant. Too many others are denied the reasonable accommodations they need – like being allowed to carry bottles of water, take more bathroom breaks, or use stools – that would allow them to keep a paycheck at the moment they need it most.

“Low-income women and their families are harmed the most by this discrimination, which can jeopardize pregnancies, harm women’s health, and push families into poverty for years to come. Twenty-three states have adopted pregnant worker fairness laws, but we need a national solution and it’s past time for Congress to act.

“The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which has bipartisan support, has been under consideration for years. This essential bill would promote healthy pregnancies, enhance family economic security, and strengthen our economy. With more families than ever relying on women’s wages, and women working later into their pregnancies, we need Congress to pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. No woman should have to choose between her job and a healthy pregnancy.”

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Statement

'A Child Dies. We Need Answers and More Compassionate Treatment of Asylum-Seekers.'

December 17, 2018

Immigration

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement from leaders of MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the tragic death of Jakelin Caal:

“The death of seven-year-old Jakelin Caal while in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is deeply and profoundly disturbing. Since the Trump administration came into power, our country has treated immigrants and asylum-seekers with suspicion and enmity, adopting policies that can only be characterized as hostile and heartless. We need to know whether Jakelin – who had just received her first pair of shoes and was hoping for her first toy and the chance to learn to read – would be alive today if our federal policies prioritized the health and safety of moms and children seeking asylum. One thing is clear: We need answers and more compassionate treatment of asylum seekers.”

-- Statement from Donna Norton, Executive Vice President, MomsRising

“No mother or family should have to take their lives in their hands to seek asylum in the United States. We join with Democratic congressional leaders in demanding a thorough investigation of this tragedy, and policies that do not force asylum-seeking families and children to take risks that could have been avoided. In recent months, the Trump administration has used tear gas on moms and children trying to enter this country, separated children from the parents who love them, and detained families seeking asylum in lawful ways, often depriving them of basic human rights and forcing them to live in intolerable conditions. We must prioritize the health and safety of those seeking the chance to live and learn in peace, and treat all those who seek asylum in the United States with compassion, dignity and respect.”

-- Statement from Khadija Gurnah, Campaign Director for Immigration, MomsRising

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Statement

10 Years After the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act Became Law, Congress Must Do More to Close Damaging Wage Gaps

January 29, 2019

Workplace Justice, Equal Pay

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement from Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, CEO and executive director of MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the 10th anniversary of enactment of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act:

“Ten years after President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law, Congress has still failed to take the next meaningful steps to end pay discrimination. As a result, harmful wage gaps persist: Today the wage gap is worst for moms and women of color, with moms making 69 cents for every dollar paid to dads and women of color making as little as 49 cents on the dollar. Overall, women are paid just 80 cents for every dollar paid to men. These gaps are punitive and unjustifiable. They hurt women, families and our economy, and they must end.

“The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was an important victory that boosted women’s ability to fight back against unfair wages. It was named after Lilly Ledbetter, who was then a tire factory worker in Alabama who was paid significantly less than her male coworkers for nearly two decades, before a note left anonymously in her locker revealed the disparity. The bill’s eventual passage, following legal action that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, demonstrated how women can create change when we speak out against injustice.

“This legislation was an essential step, but it only remedied a harmful, misguided U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Ledbetter’s case; it did not create the protections and programs we need to prevent wage discrimination from happening in the first place. Ten years later, we still need policies that are effective in preventing and combating wage inequality, including stronger remedies for wage discrimination, paid family and medical leave, earned sick days, and affordable child care.

“We look forward to the introduction of the Paycheck Fairness Act this week and expect the most diverse Congress in history to make passing it a top priority. America’s moms can’t wait any longer.

“No woman should be shortchanged on her paycheck because of her gender or race, or because she is a mom. We will continue to raise our voices until these disgraceful wage gaps are closed, once and for all.”

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Statement

Today is Asian American and Pacific Islander Equal Pay Day; We Must Take Bold Action to Close the Unjust Wage Gaps Too Many AAPI Women Face

March 5, 2019

Workplace Justice

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement from leaders of MomsRising, a national online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Equal Pay Day – the day that marks how long AAPI women have to work in 2019 to catch up to what White, non-Hispanic men were typically paid in 2018.

“Today reminds us of the harmful, unjust pay gaps Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women face. We must remember that AAPI women are not a homogenous group, and certain ethnicities experience some of the most extreme, punitive wage gaps in the country. For instance, Burmese women are paid only 50 cents on average for every dollar paid to a white, non-Hispanic man, and Hmong women just 57 cents. AAPI moms face a wage gap of 74 cents on the dollar compared to white, non-Hispanic fathers. Overall, AAPI women are paid just 85 cents for every dollar paid to a white, non-Hispanic man. These wage gaps are unfair and unjustifiable, and they cause real harm to the economic security of AAPI women and their families. This must end.”

--Statement of Sara Alcid, Workplace Justice Campaign Director, MomsRising

“These statistics belie the ‘model minority’ myth, which falsely paints all AAPI women as being highly paid. In reality, AAPI women are diverse and their experiences vary, as is true for every demographic group. In fact, AAPI women are overrepresented in low-wage occupations, and wage gaps for AAPI women persist across education and income levels. When AAPI women are shortchanged on their paychecks, it harms their families and communities and our country’s economy. We must move past misleading narratives, recognize the discrimination AAPI women face, and close these shameful pay gaps once and for all.

“We urge Congress to take bold action to make our workplaces more fair and boost families’ economic security. It is encouraging that the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Family And Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act have already been introduced in the 116th Congress, but we need for them to become law right away. America’s moms will continue to raise our voices to demand equal pay for Asian American and Pacific Islander Women – and for all women. The time for progress is now.”

--Statement of Ruth Martin, Vice President, Workplace Justice Campaigns, MomsRising

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Statement

America Needs a Raise and a Uniform Minimum Wage. A Regional Minimum Wage Would Be a Step in the Wrong Direction.

April 4, 2019

Workplace Justice

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement from Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director and CEO of MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the regional minimum wage bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives today:

“The Paying Hourly Americans Stronger Earnings (PHASE)-in $15 Wage Act (H.R. 2080), introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-7), is ill-conceived and harmful. At this time when working moms and their families urgently need a raise, we should recognize the national minimum wage as the essential federal protection it is and reject all efforts to weaken it by allowing regional adjustments. This must not be a race to the bottom and we must ensure that the action Congress takes gives hard-working people a raise, rather than perpetuating wages that are artificially low in some regions.

“The federal minimum wage has not kept up with inflation and millions of workers, especially women, desperately need a raise. Moms across the nation have spoken out time and again to demand an increase to the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour so they will be able to afford necessities like healthy food, housing, childcare and health care. A regional minimum wage would undermine that effort and would disproportionately harm women and people of color.

“America's moms will not stand for this. We call on Congress to reject this damaging bill and instead quickly pass the Raise the Wage Act, which would establish a uniform federal minimum wage of $15 per hour, phase out the tipped wage and, in doing so, boost families, communities and our economy. Anything less is unacceptable and would cause harm.”

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