It is time to wish farewell to the badass powerhouse team of Joanna Blotner and Hannah Zoe Weilbacher, who fearlessly and often sleeplessly led the DC Paid Leave campaign. Both women devoted immeasurable time, smarts, and passion, and in turn, made this a fierce and joyful campaign. We would not have won without Hannah and Joanna.
Soon, they will hand over the reins over to new leaders who will keep the grassroots pressure on to make sure the city moves forward towards realizing this dream. Read on for Hannah & Joanna's parting words, and send them your best wishes!
It's official - we worked so hard with all of you to win #PaidLeave4DC, and as the legislative campaign comes to an end, so does our time with JUFJ <3
We LOVED raising hell with all of you. We also know that we won't be far - we care too much about paid family and medical leave to totally disappear from this fight -- especially because JUFJ is taking on the larger, national fight for justice and resistance against tyranny.
While our focus will never stray from the needs of Washington, DC, we are more determined than ever that our organizing skills and our amazing community are acutely needed in this terrifying moment. Sign up to be a part of JUFJ's Jewish resistance work against Trumpism.
To carry the fight for paid leave forward, we are so excited to formally introduce you to Sarah and Liz! Many of you know them from their organizing with JUFJ. They are both brilliant and fearless. We promise: anything they ask you to do will be fun and meaningful. Reach out to them to get coffee (Sarah here; Liz here), or make sure to say hi when you see them at future JUFJ and Paid Leave events!
So what now for paid family leave? Didn't we win?
Yes! And how great is that?! However, people still don't have access to paid leave. The only way they will ever get access is if we:
- Get startup funding for the Universal Paid Leave Insurance funded in the FY18 Budget
- Pressure Mayor Bowser to meet implementation benchmarks
That sounds kind of boring...
We know! The good news is that it won't be. The other good news is that we still really, really need your help. Here's why:
Mayor Bowser could very possibly veto this bill. Her window to do so, though, expires on Thursday. So help us keep the pressure on throughout this week by calling the heck out of her office - every day this week, if you can.
Okay, I did that. What else can I do to support this campaign??
So glad you asked. We are going to need serious people-power to implement the STRONGEST and BEST version of this bill. Join the implementation campaign to make sure this happens.
Sign up here to stay connected to our Implementation Campaign
Done! That was easy, too. What else?!
We do have one final request. JUFJ is a small and powerful organization. This is a blessing, and it comes with its limits. To be honest, the two of us are headed out the door because there simply aren't the funds to keep us on for longer. We know you are all thinking critically about your giving in this moment. We ask you to add JUFJ to the list of groups who are organizing for power and for progressive change. We can't do anything you count on us to do without the funds.
Click here to donate $18 to JUFJ in honor of Joanna and Hannah.
Signing off with courage,
Joanna Blotner and Hannah Zoe Weilbacher