For support of women and families
We are days away from the election & there is a lot at stake for the women and families in northeast Minnesota. Almost half of those working in our area do not have access to a single paid day off. What this means is too many parents can’t take a sick day for themselves or have to make the awful choice of caring for a sick child or getting a paycheck. These are choices no parent should have to make. The fact is we all get sick and the modern workplace needs to catch-up with this reality. Who we elect on Nov. 4 can change this. For example, Congressman Rick Nolan was not only a champion for raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, he also believes large corporations should offer paid time off for their employees. We have the opportunity to elect champions for women and families, like Rick Nolan.
Last session was historic for women and families in Minnesota. As a state, we raised the minimum wage and passed the Women’s Economic Security Act. The Women’s Economic Security Act enacted on Aug. 1 provided workplace protections for pregnant and nursing mothers, expanded protections for victims of domestic violence, and required state contractors to pay women and men equally for similar jobs. We still have lots of work to do. In fact, our area has the worst pay gap in the state between men and women and we still fall far behind the rest of the world in our family leave policies. That’s why these elections matter to us as women. We know in order to fully get ahead we need our lawmakers to push for policies that support women and families. One of those people is Governor Mark Dayton. He supported and proudly signed the Women’s Economic Security Act in to law on Mother’s Day. We know Governor Dayton will continue to work for women and families in Minnesota.
We know our votes will be cast in favor of candidates who support women and families in our area. Thankfully we also have great advocates in Representative Tom Anzelc and Carly Melin. Last session they were champions for the middle class, women and families. They worked hard to raise the minimum wage, pass the Women’s Economic Security Act & restored funding for our schools, which lead the way for all day kindergarten. As women, these issues deeply matter to us and those around us. We want to keep building a better Minnesota for everyone, not just the wealthy. We know Tom Anzelc & Carly Melin will be champions for women and families this legislative session working on continued policy improvements. On Nov. 4 we will be casting our votes for a brighter future for Minnesota. We hope you will do the same.
Join with us in supporting Congressman Rick Nolan, Governor Mark Dayton, Representative Tom Anzelc and Carly Melin at the polls this Nov. 4, 2014.
TakeAction MN Itasca Area Women’s Action Team
