This week, JUFJ members and allies have shown us why we need #PaidLeave4DC. In honor of Father's Day, take a moment to take action:
Click "Take Action" at the top of this page and tell the DC Council we need Paid Family Leave!
Go to wetweet.org/DC and tell your DC Councilmembers you care in less than one minute
Click "Share your story" and tell us why you need Paid Family Leave
Follow twitter.com/dcpaidleave to stay tuned!
“First of all, fathers need to spend quality time with their children. Second, moms need a break sometimes to pursue a career or do what they want to do. Supporting family leave should be about putting families to the front, and because families go through things and we - us dads included - we need paid leave to get things straight. Nothing is better than when a father is able to be around his family through good times and bad. As a restaurant worker and member of Restaurant Opportunities Center DC (ROC-DC), I look forward to fighting for Paid Family Leave for all.”
Jemaire Steward
“There is nothing more heart-warming in my life than the smile my daughter gives me when I come to pick her up after a nap. If I hadn't taken family leave after she was born, I'd probably never know how that would feel. More importantly, I wouldn't have been able to be a real co-parent. Knowing my kid brings me a special kind of joy that I wouldn't have otherwise--every dad should have that chance. If we want to live in a society where fathers are committed to caring for their children we should start by letting them do that with their babies. Also, by starting off as equal parents, we both know how to do all the things related to our kid, and either of us can stay home with her when need be.”
-Zach Teutch
“I am blessed with two wonderful sons, David and Adam! Thanks to my employer's leave policies, I was able to use paid leave to spend time with both of them as infants -- a month with David after my wife went back to work and one day a week for Adam's first year. I remember those times so well, even though they were a long time ago! Those experiences were the foundation of one of the most meaningful parts of my life -- being a dad.”
-Ed Lazere, DC Fiscal Policy Institute
“Growing up, my dad was ALWAYS there for me: wiping away tears, doing homework, schlepping to horseback riding lessons. Then, in 2009, my dad was temporarily paralyzed by a rare immune disease. Seeing my dad lying in a hospital bed unable to stand was the most terrifying experience of my life. But instead of sharing in caretaking responsibilities, I boarded a plane to get out the vote for that fall's election. I wasn't able to be there for my dad when he needed me. No one should have to abandon the people they love most in order to earn a paycheck.”
-Joanna Blotner, JUFJ Paid Family Leave Campaign Manager