Public Policy and Advocacy

 

Public Policy and Advocacy

Senator Marsden senatormarsden@senate.virginia.gov

37th District covers a portion of Fairfax County, Annandale, Kings Park, West Springfield, Burke, Fair Oaks, and Centreville.

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Senator Marsden:

Congratulations on your re-election. I know your seniority on the Commerce and Labor Committee means that you will be an influential leader on paid sick days.

I live in your district and urge you to help the Senate pass a strong paid sick day standard in Virginia. We need a bill that covers everyone, not a bill that exempts small businesses and part-time workers. Workers employed by small businesses and part-time workers are the ones least likely to have paid sick days.

Please use your leadership to pass a paid sick day bill that covers all workers. Everyone deserves a few paid sick days.

Senator Surovell senatorsurovell@senate.virginia.gov

36th District covers parts of Fairfax, Prince William, and Stafford Counties in Northern Virginia, including Hybla Valley, Fort Hunt, Mount Vernon, Woodlawn, Fort Belvoir, Groveton, Hayfield, Lorton, Newington, Mason Neck, Woodbridge, Dale City, Montclair, Dumfries, Triangle, Quantico, and Cherry Hill.

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Senator Surovell:

Congratulations on your re-election and your election as Majority Leader. I live in your district and am so proud that you are a champion of paid sick days.

Virginians need a paid sick day bill that covers everyone, not a bill that exempts small businesses and part-time workers. Workers employed by small businesses and part-time workers are the ones least likely to have paid sick days.

I know you will be under enormous pressure to exempt workers from the paid sick day bill. Please stand up for all workers, including part-time workers.  Everyone deserves a few paid sick days.

Members who contact their Senator are asked to let us know by sending an email to aauwvapublicpolicy@gmail.com. Also, let us know if you receive a response.

 

AAUW-VA has established 2022-2024 Public Policy Priorities in three areas: Equality, Individual Rights, and Social Justice. Click here to read more.

The following are some recommended ‘missions’  from  AAUW-VA’s Co-Vice Presidents for Public Policy, Denise Murden and Janine Greenwood via Susan Burk, Public Policy Chair:

Year after year, no matter the results of Virginia’s election, AAUW-VA continues its nonpartisan work with all our state and federal legislators to advance our public policy priorities. To do this, we encourage members and branches to:

  1. Know and reach out to your local elected representatives – and share their names with the AAUW-VA Public Policy Team
  2. Create programs for your branch that engage members in our issues
  3. Participate in AAUW-VA Lobby Day in Richmond on January 19

Your first mission is to give the PP team what information you can about your local legislators. Many of our branches span multiple districts, particularly Delegate districts, and if you know of any other lawmakers relevant to your branch, please let us know. If you are not sure, here’s a link to find your legislators:

https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/

Then, hit “reply” to this email and fill in as much as you can of the following:*

            My Virginia delegate(s) is/are:

And the House District #(s) is/are:

            My Virginia state senator(s) is/are:

                        And the Senate District #s is/are:

            My US Member of Congress is/are:

It’s more important that you give us whatever information you have rather than stressing about being perfect. This information is vital as we reach out to lawmakers and as we prepare for Lobby Day in January.

*If you send Susan Burk this information, she will compile it and send it to Denise Murden and Janine Greenwood

Your second mission is to consider inviting one of the lawmakers you identify to speak with your branch. Trust us, lawmakers always love to talk and to have an audience. Just over the next few weeks, Alexandria has Del. Herring speaking at their December lunch, Reston-Herndon has Del. Plum presenting The State of the Commonwealth, and Vienna is working with Reston-Herndon for a program with two state Senators. An excellent draft invitation letter prepared by the Vienna Branch at this link:

Letter of invitation to a lawmaker template courtesy of the Vienna Area Branch

Your third mission is to plan to be part of Lobby Day in Richmond this January, More nformation to follow.

AAUW Reacts Positively to President Biden’s Announcement on
Federal Student Loan Debt Cancelation

Read the statement here:  https://www.aauw.org/resources/news/media/press-releases/aauw-reacts-to-president-bidens-announcement-on-federal-student-loan-debt-cancelation/

AAUW of Virginia responded to the Proposed Model Policies released by the Virginia Department of Education concerning transgender students. It was submitted to the Department of Education Portal, October 3, 2022.  Read the letter here:  https://aauw-va.aauw.net/files/2022/10/Comment-AAUW-VA-on-guidelines.pdf.

Advocating for Women’s Health Care and Economic Security

Now that the U.S Supreme Court has ruled against Roe v Wade officially, it is important to recall how many of the public policy priorities that AAUW and AAUW-VA are committed to advancing directly support the well-being and economic security of women and their families. AAUW believes that everyone can make their own informed choices about their reproductive lives within the dictates of their own moral and religious beliefs. Further, AAUW believes that these deeply personal decisions should be made without government interference.

For those many women with children who must or want to work outside the home or remotely, policies to facilitate that balancing act remain sorely lacking. Too many working women, particularly the lowest earners, have no paid sick days. Even more women have no paid family or medical leave, and no reasonable accommodations in the workplace to protect their health during pregnancy. Women everywhere lack affordable and reliable childcare, and this issue has become more acute during the pandemic. And, of course, the pay gap for women has only widened during the pandemic. The list goes on. AAUW-VA will continue to advocate for these policies by lobbying our elected officials on a national and state level. Please consider getting involved in AAUW-VA’s advocacy efforts. Together, we are a force to be reckoned with!

AAUW believes everyone has the right to make decisions about their own reproductive lives without government interference. Abortion access is vital to women’s ability to control their lives, bodies and futures. Without reproductive freedom, there can be no equity. Click here for AAUW National Statement

 

Pay Equity

Pay equity is the achievement of the appropriate recognition, status and value for the work performed by women and people of color. Work value is reflected in the wage rate. But pay equity is more than money.

Achieving pay equity for all women is a long-term goal and there are a variety of ways to get there. As a resident of your local community you are the expert on what strategies may work in your area right now. Anyone can contribute to this goal by taking part in activities that would best fit their current community, resources and situation.

Below is a list of programming and advocacy ideas to help you get started. You can find more ideas and step-by-step programming information in the AAUW Pay Equity Resource Kit (PDF).

 

Ideas for Action

  • Recognize Equal Pay Day (April 17)
    Encourage your governor, city council, or mayor to proclaim “Equal Pay Day” in your state or community.
  • Organize WAGE club meetings
    Invite women to a series of discussions and strategy sessions to help each other take action to help close the wage gap in their workplaces.
  • Understand what recourse you have
    The AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund provides a Pay Equity web page as part of the LAF Resource Library.
  • Ask legislators to sign a Fair Pay Pledge
    The pledge may indicate that legislators will support pay equity legislation or they will ensure pay equity practices are followed in their own offices.
  • Organize a reading and discussion series
    AAUW’s ¡Adelante! Book of the Month Club included Nickel and Dimed: On (not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich. Use this and similar books to talk about the issue of women concentrated in low-wage jobs.
  • Host a $tart $mart workshop on negotiation skills for women
    Economists agree that individual differences in negotiating skills can lead to pay variation among workers with similar skill sets.

Be a Two Minute Activist Fight for equal pay, family leave, stopping sexual harassment, and equal opportunity in education from the comfort of your own home. Sign up to be a Two Minute Activist and get regular alerts and the opportunity to take action. AAUW.org/act/two-minute-activist/. It couldn’t be easier!