Governor Says 5,000 Receiving New Family Leave Insurance

GOVERNOR’S PRESS RELEASE:
$5.1 million in partial wage replacement benefits received by workers under new law
ROCHELLE PARK — Governor Jon S. Corzine announced today that more than 5,000 New Jerseyans have been granted paid family leave insurance to care for seriously ill family members and new or adopted babies since the program became effective on July 1. The Governor made the announcement during a roundtable discussion with program benefit recipients at the home of Sheri A. Blands-Pearson, also a family leave claimant.
“I know from personal experience how important it is for family members to be with and care for their loved ones in need,” said Governor Corzine. “What we heard today from these five families makes it crystal clear that we made the right decision to provide these crucial Family Leave Insurance benefits. I am proud that in just three months, we have made a difference for more than five thousand workers who are juggling their responsibilities at work while caring for a seriously ill family member or a newborn or newly-adopted child. The daily realities that occur in the lives of New Jersey families makes this historic program a necessity, especially in uncertain economic times.”
The New Jersey Family Leave Insurance program, the second in the nation to be implemented, began providing workers up to six weeks of benefits starting July 1, 2009. To date, 5,407 Family Leave Insurance claims have been determined to be eligible. Of these claims, 4,368 or 81% are for bonding with a newborn or newly-adopted child; 1,040 or 19% are claims for care of a seriously ill family member. Governor Corzine signed the historic legislation last May.
“The Family Leave Insurance program is up and running,” New Jersey Labor Commissioner David J. Socolow said. “Balancing the demands and pressures of family life and the workplace is a daily struggle for New Jersey’s working families, especially for low-wage workers who often have little, if any, employer-paid leave. We have delivered this compassionate new benefit for the people of New Jersey in an efficient and cost-effective manner. By building on our successful Temporary Disability Insurance program, New Jersey’s Family Leave Insurance program is helping thousands of workers at no cost to employers.”
At today’s roundtable, Governor Corzine listened to the personal stories shared by five women who have received the benefits for different reasons. For both Sheri A. Blands-Pearson of Rochelle Park and Jacqueline Correa of Ridgefield Park, the benefits enabled them to afford to take time away from work to bond with their newborn babies. Family Leave Insurance benefits made it possible for Laurie Geraghty of Roseland to care for her terminally ill son during the final stages of his illness. Beth Bell of Mine Hill relied on FLI when she needed to care for her ailing mother and Jennifer Allen of Ridgewood needed time to care for her six-year-old son.
“At a time when people are really worried about holding on to their jobs, New Jersey’s paid family leave law has given workers the flexibility they need to attend to family emergencies without fear of losing their income,” said Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem). “No one should be forced to decide between keeping their job or caring for a sick or dying loved one. The paid family leave law has been an overwhelming success in protecting workers who need time off to take care of their families, and Governor Corzine should be commended for supporting this huge step forward for employee rights in New Jersey.”
“Thanks to Gov. Corzine and the Democratic Legislature, more than 5,000 New Jersey workers have received the peace of mind of knowing they didn’t have to decide between putting food on the table or caring for a sick family member or new child,” said Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-Essex). “Paid leave is among the most family-friendly policies we can provide New Jersey’s working families. We cannot be so inflexible as to prevent employees facing a family crisis from having access to a modest benefit that can keep them financially stable.”
New Jersey’s Family Leave Insurance benefits are funded entirely by employee payroll deductions with a maximum annual employee contribution in 2009 of $26.01, approximately 50 cents per week. Participating workers receive benefits equal to no more than two-thirds of their weekly pay, up to a maximum weekly benefit of $546 in 2009.
“On behalf of the 1 million members of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO, we are proud that under Governor Corzine’s leadership, New Jersey has become the second state in the nation to provide Family Leave Insurance benefits to its citizens,” said Charles Wowkanech, President of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO. “Organized labor is proud to have strongly supported this much needed and long overdue public policy that benefits all of New Jersey’s workforce by helping them to balance the demands of both work and family.”
Phyllis Salowe-Kaye, Executive Director of NJ Citizen Action added, “Governor Corzine truly understands the need for family friendly workplace environments by recognizing the need to care for children and ailing family members. By leading the fight for Family Leave Insurance in the US Senate and then making New Jersey the 2nd state in the country to implement Family Leave Insurance, he has once again placed New Jersey in the forefront as a pro-family state.”
More information on Family Leave Insurance is available at www.nj.gov/labor
(A list of organizations supportive of Family Leave Insurance in New Jersey is attached.)
Organizations Supportive of New Jersey Family Leave Insurance
New Jersey Partnership for Working Families
AFSCME District 1199J
AFSCME NJ Council 1
Atlantic and Cape May Counties CLC
ATU Local 819
BCTGM Local 50
Bergen County CLC
Burlington County CLC
Center for Women and Work, Rutgers
Children’s Defense Fund – New York
Council of NJ State College Locals
CWA District 1
CWA Local 1034
CWA Local 1079
CWA Local 1080
CWA Local 1089
Essex-West Hudson Counties CLC
Garfield Federation of Teachers #3977
Hispanic Directors Association of NJ
HPAE
Hudson County CLC
IAM
IBEW Local 164
IFPTE Local 195
IFPTE Local 200/200A
La Casa de Don Pedro
Mercer County CLC
Middlesex County CLC
Monmouth and Ocean Counties CLC
New Jersey Policy Perspective
NJ State AFL-CIO Retirees Committee
NJ State Federation of Teachers
NJ State Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund
Passaic County CLC
SMWIA Local 25
Somerset County CLC
Southern New Jersey CLC
Transport Workers Union of America
UAW Local 2210
UAW Local 595
UAW Local 906
UAW Region 9
UFCW Local 1360
Union County CLC
UWUA Local 534
Time to Care Coalition
A. Phillip Randolph Institute
Alliance for Disabled in Action
Anti Poverty Network
AFSCME, Administrative Council 1
Association for Children of New Jersey
Bergen Trades and Labor Council
BIGLARU
Black Ministers Council on New Jersey
Camden County #10
Caregivers of New Jersey
Center for Women and Work
Consumers for Civil Justice
Council of NJ State College Locals, AFT
CWA Local 1032
CWA Local 1034
CWA Local 1037
CWA Local 1058
Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey
Fairness Alliance
The Family Resource Network
Family Voices
Health Professionals and Allied Employees
IFPTE Local 194
IFPTE Local 195
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement
Legal Services of New Jersey
Lutheran Office of Government Ministry in NJ
Monday Morning Project
Mothers and More – New Jersey
National Family Caregivers Association
National Organization of Women, NJ
National Union of Hospital and Health Care
Employees, AFSCME, District 1199J
New Jersey AFL-CIO
New Jersey Breastfeeding Task Force
New Jersey Chapter of AAUW
New Jersey Citizen Action
New Jersey Education Association
New Jersey League of Women Voter
New Jersey Parent to Parent
New Jersey Policy Perspective
New Jersey Regional Coalition
New Jersey State Industrial Union Council
New Jersey Work Environment Council
New Jersey Working Families Alliance
New Jersey Women Lawyers Association
Newark Teachers Union, AFT
NOW-NJ – Essex County Chapter
NOW-NJ – Northern New Jersey Chapter
NOW-NJ – Morris County Chapter
NOW-SJ – Alice Paul Chapter
Older Women’s League (OWL)
Paterson Task Force for Community Action
People with Disabilities for Social and Economic
Justice (AKA The Next Step)
R.B.T. Tours
Rutgers Council of AAUP Chapters
RWDSU/UFCW 338
SEIU 1199 NJ
Statewide Parent Advocacy Network
UFCW Local 1358, HealthCare Division
UFCW Local 1360
Union of Rutgers Administrations – AFT
Union Leadership Academy
UNITE-HERE Local 54
UNITE-HERE Local 96
United Auto Workers, Region 9
United Nations Association, USA-New Jersey Division
United Steelworkers Local 4-149
The Workmen’s Circle/Arbiters Ring – NJ Region