Tuesday, March 18, 2008
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California Takes It SERIOUSLY!
FINALLY - EMPLOYER CITED ON LACTATION SUPPORT! California Labor Commissioner Angela Bradstreet announced the issuance of a citation to Santa Clara-based International Security Services, for failing to provide private accommodations for an employee to express breast milk for her newborn. The citation is the first of its kind since the law took effect in 2002. A fine of $4,000 was assessed. AB 1025 mandates every employer, regardless of size, to provide a reasonable amount of time to accommodate expressing of breast milk and to make reasonable efforts to provide the employee with a private location to express milk in private. Since this is not the type of law that can be addressed with enforcement sweeps, filing complaints is critical to correct violations and educate employers. Labor Commissioner Bradstreet is urging women who are not being provided appropriate accommodations for milk expressing to contact her office and file a complaint at the California Workers' Information Hotline at 1-866-924-9757. Read more at CA Division of Labor Standards Enforcement and Breastfeeding Works.
4 comments:
I'm posting as one of the lucky BF women who had a very supportive attitude. I was working for Head Start during my pregnancy. When I told them I likely would not return postpartum, they offered to allow me to bring my baby to work with me! They had been considering to start a 0-3 daycare on site. I returned after staying home for only 6 wks, but was able to set up my office with a swing and basinett. It was a challenge, since I was hyper-sensitive to my baby's cries, but if I was in the middle of something when she fussed, someone would come over and talk to her or pick her up! Even the men (only 2) occasionally participated!I conducted trainings, sometimes with babe in arms breastfeeding! One of the other staff also had an infant, and would bring her to the trainings as well. After 6 months, my daughter was needing more crawl time, etc. By that time the daycare was up and running. I would keep her with me for a short time in the a.m., take her over (next door) go back over at lunch to BF, visit once in my break, then pick her up. I worked wonderfully!
I tell this story as the ideal community to achieve exclusive BF and a family friendly environment. I do realize, not all jobs, collegues, etc. would work well with this, but the idea of having more small in-home daycares or on-site daycares for larger organizations is the sure way to encourage women to longer term commitments to exclusive BFing.
I've only had one negative experience breastfeeding in public. It was in New Jersey and Burlington Center (?) Mall and a security guard came to tell me to cover up. Now, with my third, I had some concerns about breastfeeding him in public in WA. In Texas you can breastfeed anywhere you are--so long as you are not trespassing. Here, it's not so clear. I would love to see more clear protection breastfeeding pairs and better education for the non breastfeeding adults/children on why it's OK and even great to nurse a child whenever, wherever that child needs to eat--without having to purchase an overpriced, glorified blanket to hide under. I was very surprised to hear how prudish WA is about breastfeeding law considering what a liberal and progressive state it claims to be.
Malena,
Thank you for posting. I've lived in Mount Holly so I know of where you are speaking. I did not become a parent until we moved back to WA. I find I'm not as concerned with public breastfeeding until I started hearing of more and more cases of women being asked to leave places like Air planes and Seattle Center! It is weird that we are very progressive on some things and so uneducated on the very basic! Thanks Again, Kim
Greetings all, we are heading into the 2009 Legislative session and it's going to be a long one. 120 days to be exact which should work in our favor for BF'ing legislation.
I've asked Tami Green D-28th Leg district to propose Anytime~Anywhere legislation. I'm waiting to hear back. We have the support of the Human Rights Commission and the legislation it'self has NO fiscal impact which is good for us in this economic climate. Keep checking back and I'll work on contacting many of you directly.
Thanks again,
Kim Rechner
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