NWLC Applauds Movement of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

(Washington, D.C.) Today, members of the House Committee on Education and Labor completed a markup of the bipartisan Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) (H.R. 2694) and voted, 29-17, to report the bill out of committee.

The following is a statement from Emily Martin, Vice President for Education & Workplace Justice at the National Women’s Law Center:

“With this bipartisan vote and the support of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, we are one step closer to protecting millions of pregnant workers across the country from being pushed out of work when they can least afford it. We are encouraged that the committee voted down a poison pill amendment that would have allowed religious employers to deny pregnant workers reasonable accommodations. But we are disappointed to see the level of Republican support that it attracted, given the importance of accommodations to the health and economic security of pregnant workers. It’s shocking that in 2020 women are still routinely forced to choose between a paycheck and a healthy pregnancy—especially women of color working in low-paid jobs. It’s time to support this commonsense bill that’s a win-win for workers and businesses.”

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For immediate release:  January 14, 2020
Contact:  Maria Patrick ([email protected])