Civil Rights Monitor
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The CIVIL RIGHTS MONITOR is a quarterly publication that reports on civil rights issues pending before the three branches of government. The Monitor also provides a historical context within which to assess current civil rights issues. Back issues of the Monitor are available through this site. Browse or search the archives Volume 4, Numbers 5 and 6
STATUS OF CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION BEFORE CONGRESS HOUSE PASSES FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT
On May 10, by a vote of 237-187, the House of Representatives passed the Family and Medical Leave Act. A coalition of women's, civil rights, and labor organizations has been pushing for passage of a leave bill for the past five years. The Senate bill was reported by the Labor and Human Resources Committee on April 19, 1989. The full Senate is expected to consider the bill sometime during the summer. Secretary of Labor Elizabeth H. Dole has said she will recommend that the President veto the legislation on grounds that the Federal Government should not mandate leave policies, but leave them to be negotiated by employers and employees.
The bill as passed by the House will allow an employee to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave a year in total to care for a newborn or adopted child, or for a seriously ill child or parent. The 12 weeks could include similar leave in the event of the worker's own illness. An individual must have worked for the employer at least 1,000 hours in the previous 12 months in order to qualify.
The employer must maintain the worker's health insurance coverage during the leave period if such insurance is provided by the company, and when the employee returns s/he must be given the same or an equivalent job. The bill applies only to companies that employ 50 or more employees. Thus it does not cover 90 percent of all employers and 56 percent of all employees.
The Senate bill would allow employees to take up to ten weeks of unpaid leave over a two-year period to care for a newborn child or a seriously ill child or parent. It also provides for 13 weeks of leave per year for an employee suffering from a serious illness. This bill would apply to companies or worksites, with 20 or more employees.
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