{"id":97878,"date":"2016-04-01T14:56:35","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T19:56:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/?p=97878"},"modified":"2016-04-05T07:57:19","modified_gmt":"2016-04-05T12:57:19","slug":"heitkamp-gillibrand-in-jmst-apr-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/?p=97878","title":{"rendered":"Sens Heitkamp &#038; Gillibrand discuss paid leave policy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Jamestown (CSi) U.S. Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) , in Jamestown Friday, highlighted what they believe is the need to implement, as they say, &#8220;a proactive, common-sense federal paid leave policy to make sure working families have the flexibility they need to care for their loved ones while strengthening the ability of small businesses to support and retain employees.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"easyRotatorWrapper\" align=\"center\">\r\n\r\n<!-- Begin DWUser_EasyRotator -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/c520866.r66.cf2.rackcdn.com\/1\/js\/easy_rotator.min.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div class=\"dwuserEasyRotator\" style=\"width: 600px; height: 451px; position:relative; text-align: left;\" data-erConfig=\"{autoplayEnabled:true, autoplayDelay:4000, lpp:'102-105-108-101-58-47-47-47-67-58-47-85-115-101-114-115-47-79-119-110-101-114-47-68-111-99-117-109-101-110-116-115-47-69-97-115-121-82-111-116-97-116-111-114-80-114-101-118-105-101-119-47-112-114-101-118-105-101-119-95-115-119-102-115-47', wv:1}\" data-erName=\"FamilyLeave40116\" data-erTID=\"{8rbw2mj7mc5624767459541}\">\r\n\t<div data-ertype=\"content\" style=\"display: none;\"><ul data-erlabel=\"Main Category\">\r\n\t<li>\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"main\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/EasyRotatorStorage\/user-content\/erc_73_1459547052\/content\/assets\/FamilyLeave13-0.jpg\" alt=\"U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) speaks on her national family\/medical leave policy\" \/>\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"thumb\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/EasyRotatorStorage\/user-content\/erc_73_1459547052\/content\/assets\/FamilyLeave13-0.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t\t<span class=\"title\">U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) speaks on her national family\/medical leave policy<\/span>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t<li>\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"main\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/EasyRotatorStorage\/user-content\/erc_73_1459547052\/content\/assets\/FamilyLeave7-0.jpg\" alt=\"Roundtable held at the James River Family Fitness Center April 1.  CSi Photo\" \/>\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"thumb\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/EasyRotatorStorage\/user-content\/erc_73_1459547052\/content\/assets\/FamilyLeave7-0.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t\t<span class=\"title\">Roundtable held at the James River Family Fitness Center April 1.  CSi Photo<\/span>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t<li>\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"main\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/EasyRotatorStorage\/user-content\/erc_73_1459547052\/content\/assets\/FamilyLeave1-0.jpg\" alt=\"U.S. Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) left, &amp; Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) right.   CSi Photo\" \/>\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"thumb\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/EasyRotatorStorage\/user-content\/erc_73_1459547052\/content\/assets\/FamilyLeave1-0.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t\t<span class=\"title\">U.S. Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) left, & Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) right.   CSi Photo<\/span>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t<li>\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"main\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/EasyRotatorStorage\/user-content\/erc_73_1459547052\/content\/assets\/FamilyLeave9-0.jpg\" alt=\"Roundtable at the James River Family Fitness Center.  CSi Photo\" \/>\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"thumb\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/EasyRotatorStorage\/user-content\/erc_73_1459547052\/content\/assets\/FamilyLeave9-0.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t\t<span class=\"title\">Roundtable at the James River Family Fitness Center.  CSi Photo<\/span>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t<li>\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"main\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/EasyRotatorStorage\/user-content\/erc_73_1459547052\/content\/assets\/FamilyLeave12-0.jpg\" alt=\"U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) speaks on national family\/medical leave policy. CSi Photo. \" \/>\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"thumb\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/EasyRotatorStorage\/user-content\/erc_73_1459547052\/content\/assets\/FamilyLeave12-0.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t\t<span class=\"title\">U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) speaks on national family\/medical leave policy. CSi Photo. <\/span>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t<li>\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"main\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/EasyRotatorStorage\/user-content\/erc_73_1459547052\/content\/assets\/FamilyLeave11-0.jpg\" alt=\"Heitkamp, left, &amp; Gillibrand, middle, ND State Rep Jessica Haak, right  CSi Photo. \" \/>\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"thumb\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/EasyRotatorStorage\/user-content\/erc_73_1459547052\/content\/assets\/FamilyLeave11-0.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t\t<span class=\"title\">Heitkamp, left, & Gillibrand, middle, ND State Rep Jessica Haak, right  CSi Photo. <\/span>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t<li>\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"main\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/EasyRotatorStorage\/user-content\/erc_73_1459547052\/content\/assets\/FamilyLeave5-0.jpg\" alt=\"Renee Stromme, Director North Dakota Women's Network.   CSi Photo. \" \/>\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"thumb\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/EasyRotatorStorage\/user-content\/erc_73_1459547052\/content\/assets\/FamilyLeave5-0.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t\t<span class=\"title\">Renee Stromme, Director North Dakota Women's Network.   CSi Photo. <\/span>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t<li>\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"main\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/EasyRotatorStorage\/user-content\/erc_73_1459547052\/content\/assets\/FamilyLeave10-0.jpg\" alt=\"Roundtable at the James River Family Fitness Center.  CSi Photo\" \/>\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"thumb\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/EasyRotatorStorage\/user-content\/erc_73_1459547052\/content\/assets\/FamilyLeave10-0.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t\t<span class=\"title\">Roundtable at the James River Family Fitness Center.  CSi Photo<\/span>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\t<div data-ertype=\"layout\" data-ertemplateName=\"NONE\" style=\"\">\t\t\t<div class=\"erimgMain\" style=\"position: absolute; left:0;right:0;top:0;bottom:70px;\" data-erConfig=\"{___numTiles:3, scaleMode:'scaleUpAndDown', imgType:'main', __loopNextButton:false, arrowButtonMode:'rollover'}\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"erimgMain_slides erFixCSS3\" style=\"position: absolute; left:0; top:0; bottom:0; right:0;\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"erimgMain_slide\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"erimgMain_img\" style=\"position: absolute; left:0;right:0;top:0;bottom:0;\"><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"erimgMain_arrowLeft\" style=\"position:absolute; left: 10px; top: 50%; margin-top: -15px;\" data-erConfig=\"{image:'circleSmall', image2:'circleSmall'}\"><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"erimgMain_arrowRight\" style=\"position:absolute; right: 10px; top: 50%; margin-top: -15px;\" data-erConfig=\"{image:'circleSmall', image2:'circleSmall'}\"><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"erdynamicText\" data-erfield=\"title\" style=\"position: absolute; left:0;right:0;bottom:16px;height:45px; text-align: center; color: #666; font: 14px\/18px Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,_serif;\">\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"erdots\" style=\"overflow: hidden; margin: 0; font-size: 10px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, _sans; color: #FFF; position: absolute; left:0; right:0; bottom:5px;\" data-erConfig=\"{showText:false}\" align=\"center\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"erdots_wrap\" style=\"wasbackground-color: #CFC; float: none;\" align=\"left\"> <!-- modify the float on this element to make left\/right\/none=center aligned. -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"erdots_btn_selected\" style=\"padding-left: 0; width: 13px; height: 13px; display: inline-block; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; line-height: 20px; margin: 0; cursor: default; background: url(http:\/\/easyrotator.s3.amazonaws.com\/1\/i\/rotator\/dots\/export\/13_7_blue.png) top left no-repeat;\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t&nbsp;\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"erdots_btn_normal\" style=\"padding-left: 0; width: 13px; height: 13px; display: inline-block; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; line-height: 20px; margin: 0; cursor: pointer; background: url(http:\/\/easyrotator.s3.amazonaws.com\/1\/i\/rotator\/dots\/export\/13_7_gray.png) top left no-repeat;\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t&nbsp;\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"erdots_btn_hover\" style=\"padding-left: 0; width: 13px; height: 13px; display: inline-block; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; line-height: 20px; margin: 0; cursor: pointer; background: url(http:\/\/easyrotator.s3.amazonaws.com\/1\/i\/rotator\/dots\/export\/13_7_blue.png) top left no-repeat;\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t&nbsp;\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"erabout erFixCSS3\" style=\"color: #FFF; text-align: left; background: #000; background:rgba(0,0,0,0.93); border: 2px solid #FFF; padding: 20px; font: normal 11px\/14px Verdana,_sans; width: 300px; border-radius: 10px; display:none;\">\r\n\t\t\tThis jQuery slider was created with the free <a style=\"color:#FFF;\" href=\"#eraboutlink\" target=\"_blank\">EasyRotator for WordPress<\/a> plugin from DWUser.com.\r\n\t\t\t<br \/><br \/>\r\n\t\t\t<a style=\"color:#FFF;\" href=\"#\" class=\"erabout_ok\">OK<\/a>   \r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t<noscript>\r\n\t\t\tRotator powered by <strong>EasyRotator for WordPress<\/strong>, a free and easy jQuery slider builder from DWUser.com.  Please enable JavaScript to view. \r\n\t\t<\/noscript>\r\n\t\t<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\/*Avoid IE gzip bug*\/(function(b,c,d){try{if(!b[d]){b[d]=\"temp\";var a=c.createElement(\"script\");a.type=\"text\/javascript\";a.src=\"http:\/\/easyrotator.s3.amazonaws.com\/1\/js\/nozip\/easy_rotator.min.js\";c.getElementsByTagName(\"head\")[0].appendChild(a)}}catch(e){alert(\"EasyRotator fail; contact support.\")}})(window,document,\"er_$144\");<\/script>\r\n\t\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- End DWUser_EasyRotator -->\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/div>\n<p>CSi Photos by Thomas Ravely.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking with local leaders, advocates, and working families at a daycare in Jamestown, Heitkamp and Gillibrand discussed the challenges many family members face when they lack the paid leave to care for a newborn, a sick child, or an elderly parent. Pointing to the fact that almost half of North Dakota\u2019s private-sector workforce cannot earn a single paid sick day \u2013 and that only about a third are eligible for or can afford paid leave \u2013 the Senators underscored the immediate need to invest in working families to prevent North Dakotans from choosing between their families and their jobs.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier Friday, Heitkamp and Gillibrand visited Zandbroz, a small family-owned business in Fargo, where they spoke about the plight of many small businesses that cannot afford to offer paid leave, and too often risk losing good employees when they need to care for a newborn or a family member. Across the country, businesses spend an average of one-fifth of an employee\u2019s salary on replacing workers, and over a lifetime, men and women will lose a respective $284,000 and $324,000 because of the lack of paid leave policies in their workplaces. And in North Dakota \u2013 where <span style=\"font-size: large;\">62,100 serve as caregivers<\/span><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> to ailing or <span style=\"font-size: medium;\">family members, and <\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">74 percent of children<\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"> live in households where both parents work \u2013 the urgent need for a practical paid leave policy is apparent. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/SenatorHeitkampofficial.png\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-31894\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-31894\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/SenatorHeitkampofficial-150x150.png\" alt=\"SenatorHeitkampofficial\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><\/span>Heitkamp says &#8220;To build a strong future for North Dakota, our state needs to invest in working families. But right now that isn\u2019t happening as almost half of private sector workers in the state can\u2019t get a single paid sick day to care for themselves or a newborn, sick child, or elderly parent. We can\u2019t predict what life throws our way, but we can help families and employers prepare rather than just crossing our fingers. That\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to support Senator Gillibrand\u2019s FAMILY Act which would help both small businesses and working families get the flexibility they need to care for their families without risking their livelihoods. This commonsense solution would help businesses attract and maintain a strong, healthy workforce, and help families plan for the life events that matter most while preventing anyone from having to choose between their family and their job.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/GillibrandKirsten.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-98043\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-98043\" src=\"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/GillibrandKirsten-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"GillibrandKirsten\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>Gillibrand adds, &#8220;Every American man and woman who works should have access to paid leave when they need it \u2013 not just the 13 percent who are lucky enough to have it today. We are the only industrialized country in the world that still doesn\u2019t guarantee its workers some form of paid leave. We must change this. I\u2019m grateful to Senator Heitkamp for her leadership on this important issue, and I look forward to working with her in Washington to pass the FAMILY Act and give every American worker access to paid leave.&#8221; \u00a0(CSi Photo)<\/p>\n<p>The <i>Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act<\/i> \u2013 introduced by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and supported by 20 other senators \u2013 would provide working families with up to 12 weeks of partial income when they take leave for their own serious health condition, including pregnancy and childbirth recovery, the serious health condition of a child, parent, spouse, and the birth or adoption of a child. Funded through small employee and employer earned benefit of less than 0.2 percent of wages each, or about $1.50 per week for a typical worker \u2013 about the cost of a weekly cup of coffee. This legislation would create a self-sufficient program that would provide working families the flexibility they need without adding to the federal budget.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, the United States is the only industrialized nation in the world that does not offer paid maternity leave. The other countries that do not offer it are Swaziland, Lesotho, and Papua New Guinea.<\/p>\n<p>Previously&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Bismarck (CSi) U.S. Senator, Heidi Heitkamp will join U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), in Jamestown on Friday April 1, \u00a0to discuss the need for Paid Family Leave with North Dakota Working Families.<\/p>\n<p>The senators<b> <\/b>will meet with working families and community leaders at a daycare facility in Jamestown to talk about how a strong federal paid family and medical leave policy as the senators\u2019 FAMILY Act would create would enable working families to get the paid leave they need to care for a newborn, a sick child, or an elderly parent.<\/p>\n<p>Heitkamp says, about half of the private sector workforce in North Dakota can\u2019t earn a single paid sick day to care for a loved one. And only about a third of North Dakota\u2019s working adults are eligible for let alone able to afford unpaid leave.<\/p>\n<p>The roundtable will be held at the James River Family Fitness Center Facility at 3:45-p.m.\u00a0Enter through the Larson door.<\/p>\n<p>Attendees joining Heitkamp, and Gillibrand will be:<\/p>\n<p>District 12 North Dakota State Reprepresntative Jessica Haak (D) of Jamestown<\/p>\n<p>Renee Stromme, Director of ND Women\u2019s Network<\/p>\n<p>Nick Archuleta, President of North Dakota United<\/p>\n<p>Verla Jung, North Dakota Child Care Aware<\/p>\n<p>Tammy Hoggarth, North Dakota Community Action<\/p>\n<p>Adoptive parents who faced challenges with accessing paid family leave.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jamestown (CSi) U.S. Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) , in Jamestown Friday, highlighted what they believe is the need to implement, as they say, &#8220;a proactive, common-sense federal paid leave policy to make sure working families have the flexibility they need to care for their loved ones [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":98024,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-jamestown"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=97878"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97878\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98050,"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97878\/revisions\/98050"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/98024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=97878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=97878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=97878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}