Events List
The Life-Work Balancing Act: Broadening the Conversation About our Workplaces
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
The debate of work-life balance has hit the media waves again, mostly focusing on tips for white-collar and executive women on juggling family, job promotions and life. Sponsored by A Better Balance and the Women's City Club of New York City, this forum intends to broaden the conversation by examining the economic, cultural and social components of “balancing” life’s obligations. To learn more about the panelists and event, click here.
When: Wednesday, June 19th, 5:30-8:00pm
Where: Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
281 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010 (at 22nd Street)
Cost: $10 for Women's City Club members, $15 for Guests
Babygate: A Conversation with the Authors
Tuesday, May 22nd
Join us for a conversation with the authors of this new, insightful guide that serves as a roadmap to the tricky terrain that comes with being a parent in the American workplace. Learn about the rights and protection available for parents (and expectant parents) in the workplace and explore ways to navigate the challenges that arise in seeking work-life balance and the steps to achieve more family-friendly policies for all.
When: Tuesday, May 22nd, 6:30-8:30pm
Where: The JCC in Manhattan (7th Floor - Beit Midrash)
334 Amsterdam ave at 76th st, New York, NY 10023
RSVP: For more information about the event, or to register, please call 646-505-5708.
Babygate Book Release Party!
Wednesday, May 15th
We are celebrating the launch of A Better Balance's new book, Babygate: What You Really Need to Know About Pregnancy & Parenting in the American Workplace. Babygate is an essential road map to the laws that involve pregnant women and new parents at work. The guide covers everything from morning sickness to maternity leave to confronting discrimination on the job, and it makes a great gift for the expecting parents in your life.
When: Wednesday, May 15th, 7-9pm
Where: 61 Local, 61 Bergen Street, Brooklyn, NY
RSVP: Please RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Women's Equality Agenda Briefing & Discussion: Westchester
Tuesday, March 19th
Join Dina Bakst, Co-Founder & Co-President of A Better Balance and Assemblymember Addie Russell, Chair of the Women's Issues Task Force for a briefing and discussion of the New York Women's Equality Agenda.
When: Tuesday, March 19th 6:30-8:00pm
Where: YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester
515 North Street
White Plains
RSVP: Please register here.
Women for NYC Paid Sick Days Rally
Monday, February 25, 2013
Please join us on Monday, February 25, 2013, for a paid sick days rally in New York City! Women leaders from across diverse fields--elected officials, workers, business leaders, healthcare professionals, advocates and activists--will stand together to demand passage of the NYC Paid Sick Time Act.
Without paid sick time, women--especially low-income women with children and single mothers--face impossible choices between their economic security and caring for their personal or children's health. In a New York Times article last July, Gloria Steinem highlighted the importance of the NYC Paid Sick Time Act to women: "Ms. Steinem said that passage of the legislation would have a disproportionate benefit for women, both because they typically shoulder the burden of caring for sick children and because they are overrepresented in low-wage industries where workers often are not paid or are fired for absence. 'I’ve seen women lose their jobs, lose their apartments, and spend two years getting their kids back from foster care — all starting with a sick child,' Ms. Steinem wrote."
When: Monday, February 25, 2013, 11AM
Where: City Hall
Subway: #4, #5, #6 trains to City Hall/Brooklyn Bridge; #2, #3 trains to Park Place; R train to City Hall; C, A trains to Chambers Street. You can enter City Hall Plaza from either the west side at Broadway and Murray Street or the east side at Park Row. Please leave extra time for security.
More Information About the NYC Paid Sick Days Campaign: For background information and resources regarding the paid sick days campaign in New York City, head to this page of our website!
Other Ways to Stay Involved: For those of you in NYC, you can help out with the campaign, even if you can't make this rally! Please sign and share our petition calling on the Speaker to bring the NYC Paid Sick Time Act to a vote.
U.S. Reproductive Rights in 2013: A Critical Look at Where We Stand
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The 2012 election was full of references and rhetoric related to women’s reproductive rights. From whether birth control should be covered by Obamacare, to the attempts to defund Planned Parenthood, to the infamous “legitimate rape” statement by a congressional hopeful, women’s rights in the context of their reproductive freedoms was front-page news. Observers in New York City may find it hard to gain perspective on how reproductive rights issues play out in less liberal parts of the country. This forum will look at these issues in the national context, providing an overview of where we stand as a nation, with facts and figures, and an opportunity to discuss where these issues fit in the broader context of women’s rights, access to health care, and the march towards equality. Panelists will also discuss some recent “wins” for women’s rights in New York.
When: Wednesday, February 13th, 2013 12:25-1:50pm
Where: New York University School of Law, Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg Lounge, 40 Washington Square South, New York, NY
Click here to RSVP for this event.
PANELISTS:
Dina Bakst, Co-Founder and Co-President, A Better Balance
Angela Hooton, State Policy and Advocacy Director, Center for Reproductive Rights
Ariela Migdal ’01, Senior Staff Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union Women’s Rights Project
MODERATOR:
Denise Tomasini-Joshi, Assistant Dean for Public Service, NYU School of Law
View this event on the web calendar.
New York City Paid Sick Days Rally: This Flu Health Emergency Calls for a Vote on Paid Sick Days!
Friday, January 18, 2013
Please join A Better Balance, health care professionals, elected officials, working families, and the paid sick days coalition for a rally on the steps of City Hall. With the approval of 83% of New Yorkers, a veto-proof majority of the City Council in support, and a flu epidemic, it's time for Council Speaker Quinn to bring this bill to a vote!
When: Friday, January 18, 2013, Noon
Where: City Hall
Subway: #4, #5, #6 trains to City Hall/Brooklyn Bridge; #2, #3 trains to Park Place; R train to City Hall; C, A trains to Chambers Street. You can enter City Hall Plaza from either the west side at Broadway and Murray Street or the east side at Park Row. Please leave extra time for security.
More Information About the NYC Paid Sick Days Campaign: For background information and resources regarding the paid sick days campaign in New York City, head to this page of our website!
Other Ways to Stay Involved: For those of you in NYC, if you have been affected by the flu epidemic this year but don't have paid sick time, please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your story.
Roundtable Discussion About Balancing Work and Family Responsibilities in the Film and Television Industry
Friday, November 16, 2012
All Quiet! Kids on the Set: Ensuring a Balance Between Work and Family Responsibilities
New York Women in Film & Television is holding a roundtable discussion about balancing work and family responsibilities in the film and television industry, featuring speakers Dina Bakst, Co-President & Co-Founder of A Better Balance, and Ossai Miazad, an associate at Outten & Golden. Breakfast will be served.
The event will focus on the challenges of being mothers/parents in the industry; what employees and employers should know about pregnancy, motherhood, and parental rights discrimination; and human resources policies that employers should adopt in order to attract and retain more mothers/parents in the workplace.
When: Friday, November 16th, 8:30am-10:00am
Where: Outten & Golden, 3 Park Avenue, 29th Floor
Additional Event Information: Click here for event details.
Paid Sick Days Petition Delivery and Stroller March
Thursday, October 4, 2012
A Better Balance and the New York City Paid Sick Days Coalition are organizing a stroller march at City Hall on October 4th! Please join other parents, as well as elected officials and community leaders, as we deliver 50,000 petitions in support of the NYC Paid Sick Time Act to Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
If you haven't added your name to our petition yet, there's still time!
When: Wednesday, September 19 at 12pm.
Where: City Hall steps
Additional Event Information: Stay tuned to our Facebook page for event details and updates!
More Information About the NYC Paid Sick Days Campaign: For background information and resources regarding the paid sick days campaign in New York City, head to this page of our website!
Paid Sick Days Panel at the New York City LGBT Community Center
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Jared Make, Staff Attorney at A Better Balance, and Council Member Gale Brewer, lead sponsor of the NYC Paid Sick Time Act, will be speaking about the importance of paid sick days to the LGBT and HIV/AIDS communities on a panel at the Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City.
When: Wednesday, September 19 at 8pm.
Where: LGBT Community Center, 208 West 13th Street, Manhattan
More Information: A flyer with event details is available on facebook.
Healthcare Professionals Paid Sick Days Rally
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Join doctors, nurses, medical students, healthcare professionals, and members of the NYC Paid Sick Days Coalition as we draw attention to the significant public health benefits of paid sick days.
When: Wednesday, September 19 at 12pm.
Where: City Hall steps
More Information: More information is available on the CIR-SEIU website.
Clergy and Community Leaders Paid Sick Days Event
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Join clergy, elected officials and community leaders from the NYC Paid Sick Days Coalition as we remember Felix Trinidad. Felix, a 12-year employee of a supermarket in Brooklyn, passed away this July following a battle with stomach cancer. Felix's employer did not offer paid sick days, and he was forced to work during chemotherapy because he could not afford to take a day off.
When: Wednesday, August 22nd at 12pm.
Where: City Hall steps
More Information: A flyer with more information is available here.
Women for Paid Sick Days Rally
Wednesday, July 18th, 2012
Join elected officials, working women, mothers, doctors, nurses, teachers, community organizations, labor, restaurant, direct care, retail, business, early childhood, & senior groups to shed light on this critical issue!
When: Wednesday, July 18th at 12pm.
Where: City Hall steps
Check out this flyer for details on the event. To join the Campaign or to RSVP your attendance, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Family Leave Insurance Webinar
Thursday, July 12, 2012
The National Center for Children in Poverty will host a webinar on Family Leave Insurance. The event, "Family Leave Insurance in New York State: Engaging the Early Childhood and Public Health Communities," will focus on the importance of family leave insurance for healthy development in early childhood. We will also discuss strategies for engaging early childhood and public health research, advocacy, and policy organizations in supporting renewed efforts to win Family Leave Insurance in New York State. The webinar will share research findings and action steps presented at NCCP's public forum held last April at the Ford Foundation. Our distinguished panelists include:
- Donna Dolan, New York State Paid Leave Coalition
- Dana Friedman, Early Years Institute
- Sherry Leiwant, A Better Balance
- David Socolow, former commissioner, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
- Lois Uttley, Public Health Association of New York City
When: Tuesday, July 12, 2012 from 12:00-1:15pm
Click here to register, and learn more about the need for family leave insurance in our fact sheet on New York's bill.
Family Leave Insurance Campaign Launch
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Join elected officials, community organizations, unions, businesses, early childhood, women's and senior groups to launch the Family Leave Insurance campaign in New York State!
When: Tuesday, June 12, 2012 at 12:30pm
Where: LOB-Albany; LCA Room
Check out this flyer for details on the event, and learn more about the need for family leave insurance in our fact sheet on New York's bill.
Family Leave Insurance and Pregnancy Accommodations Conference Call
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Join us to hear about two important bills that are being discussed in the New York State Legislature. Hear what other women’s organization in NY are doing about this and ask questions of the experts. Guest experts: Dina Bakst, Co-Founder & Co-President of A Better Balance, and Donna Dolan, Paid Leave Coalition of New York. Sponsored by the YWCA.
When: Thursday, June 7, 2012 from 10:30am
Where: Call 1-877-567-1262 code: 455327#
Workers' Rights: Balancing Work and Family
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Calling all social service professionals! Get the latest on key challenges facing low-income workers.
When: Wednesday, June 6, 2012 from 9:30am-12:30pm
Where: Community Service Society, 105 East 22nd Street, NYC, Conference Room 4A
For more information and to register for the event, please click here.
New York Care Congress
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Caring Across Generations is a bold new campaign for quality care and support, and a dignified quality of life for all Americans, across generations. Care Congresses are town-hall dialogues to bring together everyday people in a new movement to create quality, dignified care for all.
When: Wednesday, June 3, 2012, 1pm: Registration & refreshments; 2pm: Program begins
Where: Pace University, One Pace Plaza, New York, NY 10038
For more information and to register for the event, please click here.
Women's Economic Roundtable
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
This roundtable will focus on legislation currently proposed in the New York State Senate regarding pay equity, equal economic opportunities for women, health and reproductive rights, and protection from domestic violence.
When: Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Where: Albany, New York
A Better Balance Spring Celebration
Monday, May 7, 2012
Join us to celebrate another year of advancing the rights of working families and the individuals who have put our ideals into practice.
When: Monday, May 7, 2012 from 6:30-8:30pm
Where: Gansevoort Park Avenue Park Lounge, 420 Park Avenue South at 29th Street
For more information and to register for the event, please click here.
Paid Family Leave Forum
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
A Better Balance is convening a forum with the National Center for Children in Poverty and the New York State Paid Leave Coalition, bringing together researchers, advocates, and stakeholders across the domains of early childhood, public health, and economic security to discuss and advance paid family leave.
When: April 25, 2012
Where: Ford Foundation, New York, NY
To receive updates about the forum including invitation, agenda, and panelist list, please contact:
Kalyani Thampi
215 West 125th St, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10027
T: 646.284.9619
E:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Join Us for an Equal Pay Day NYC Forum
Monday, April 16, 2012 10:45am to 12:30pm
Making Equal Pay a reality in New York! 6th Annual Equal Pay Day NYC
Special guest Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will be joined by political leaders, advocates and experts calling for stronger equal pay laws & policies. Panel moderated by NPR Host Maria Hinojosa.
Click here for additional information.
Where: NYU Law School, Tishman Auditorium, 40 Washington Square South
Current Trends and Cutting Edge Issues in Family Responsibilities Discrimination Law CLE
Tuesday, February 28, 2012, 3:00pm to 6:00pm.
The Families @ Work Legal Clinic, co-sponsored by A Better Balance and Outten & Golden LLP, offers free consultations to low-income workers facing problems on the job related to their family responsibilities. Join us to learn about our clinic and how you can successfully represent pregnant women, working parents and caregivers in their workplace disputes.
Our panel will cover how federal, state and local laws can be used to protect family caregivers and how temporary disability and unemployment insurance impact pregnant women and new mothers. Case studies will highlight strategies for complex cases and tie together overlapping regulatory regimes.
Click here for additional information.
Outten & Golden, LLP, 3 Park Avenue, 29th Floor
Please RSVP to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
by February 24th
Space is limited
New York City Paid Sick Time Campaign -- Press Conference with Healthcare & Policy Experts
Thursday, February 16, 2012, Arrive at 12:45pm for 1:00pm Press Conference
Please join A Better Balance and the New York City Paid Sick Days Coalition for a press conference at Bellevue Hospital. At the event, healthcare providers and policy experts will be highlighting new data showing that the NYC Paid Sick Time Act would provide millions of dollars in annual emergency room savings for NYC Hospitals.
Click here for a flyer with additional information (and here for a Spanish language version).
Bellevue Hospital, New York City
Assemble on the West Side of 1st Avenue near 27th Street.
Roundtable CLE Presentation on Work/Family Issues and the Law
Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 8:30am to 10:00am
A Better Balance cordially invites you to a CLE to learn about cutting edge legal issues and trends including pregnancy and caregiver discrimination, family leave issues, the enforcement of the new Domestic Workers Bill of Rights and more!
Click here for the program and additional information.
When:
January 25, 2012, 8:30am to 10:00am
Where:
Morrison & Foerster, LLP
1290 Avenue of the Americas @ 51st Street, New York City
RSVP Required by January 23, 2012 to Jaclyn Stoll at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 212-430-5982.
Rally to Relaunch the New York City Paid Sick Days Campaign
Wednesday, January 18, 2012, Meet at 11:30am for 12:00pm Rally
A million and a half working New Yorkers have no paid sick time to care for themselves or sick children. On Wednesday, January 18, 2012, A Better Balance and the New York City Paid Sick Days Coalition will hold a rally at City Hall to relaunch the paid sick time campaign. The coalition is larger, stronger, and more determined than ever to pass the NYC Paid Sick Time Act in 2012!
Click here for directions and additional details. For a flyer in Spanish, click here.
When:
January 18, 2012, Meet at 11:30am for 12:00pm rally.
Where:
Steps of City Hall
New York City
Pay Equity Public Hearing
Monday, December 12, 2011 11:00am
Dina Bakst will be a witness at a public hearing on pay equity in New York State before Assmblymembers Keith L.T. Wright, Peter J. Abbate, Jr., Steve Englebright, Andrew D. Hevesi, and Ellen Jaffee.
http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/comm/Labor/20111128/
When:
December 12, 2011 11:00am
Where:
250 Broadway, Assembly Hearing Room 1923, 19th Floor
New York , NY 10010
Paid Sick Leave in New York City
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 9:30am - 11:00am
Economic Justice and Social Welfare Network (formerly the Welfare Reform Network) Presents:
Paid Sick Leave In New York City
featuring:
Sherry Leiwant
Co-Founder & Co-President
A Better Balance: The Work and Family Legal Center
One key challenge for New Yorkers in low-wage jobs is a lack of paid sick leave. Over a million people in NYC don't receive any, and we all suffer (both economically and health-wise) as a result. Our meeting on December 6th will feature a conversation on sick-leave legislation that is currently before the New York City Council, and outline how advocates can take action on this issue.
We'll also have updates on EJSWN Committee efforts, and other timely issues related to economic justice and income-security-related issues.
http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/6584/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=33488
When:
December 6, 2011 9:30am-11:00am
Where:
Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
281 Park Avenue South (at 22nd Street)
New York , NY 10010
Domestic Workers Convention
Saturday, December 3, 2011 9:00am - 6:00pm
Join hundreds of nannies, housekeepers, & elderly caregivers to build our power for greater rights and respect! In 2010, New York domestic workers made history when we passed the nation's first Domestic Worker's Bill of Rights. We won basic rights and protections where none had existed. Now we must build upon our victory and raise the industry standards!
Convention Highlights:
Free Legal Consultations (by ABB and other legal organizations)
Workers Rights Workshops
Negotiation Tools & Techniques
Domestic Workers General Assembly
Guest Speakers & Door Prizes!
When:
December 3, 2011 9:00am-6:00pm
Where:
New York Academy of Medicine - 2nd Floor Hall - Corner of 103rd Street & 5th Avenue
Super Committee Action
Thursday, November 17, 2011 08:00am - 11:00am
Join the Caring Across Generations campaign. We will surprise members of the Super Committee at a fundraising meeting, then walk together to Capitol Hill for a People's Hearing with members of Congress. We'll share our stories and tell Congress that the 99% of us need jobs, not cuts to our care programs.
When:
November 17, 2011 8:00am-11:00am
Where:
Meet at 8am sharp at Union Station, at the Metro stop that is closest to the outdoor eating tables (in front of the Chipotle). We'll do a surprise action at a congressional fundraiser, and then head over to the capitol together for a People's Hearing from 10:00-11:00am.
Human Rights Webinar
Tuesday, October 25, 2011, 01:00pm - 02:00pm
The Human Right to Paid Sick Leave: How the human rights framework can advance campaigns for economic justice in the U.S.
Featuring:
Sherry Leiwant, Co-Founder & Co-President, A Better Balance
Virgilio O. Aran, Lead Organizer, Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York
When:
October 25, 2011 1:00-2:00pm
Where:
Please REGISTER for instructions on how to sign into the Webinar
Presented by the Human Rights Project at the Urban Justice Center and the US Human Rights Network
Work/Life Panel at Culture Center
Thursday, October 20, 2011, 06:30pm - 08:00pm
ABB's Phoebe Taubman will join a panel to discuss the personal and policy dimensions of work/life balance at an event sponsored by the Bryn Mawr and Haverford College Alumni Associations, and the Stanford University Women's Network.
When:
October 20, 2011 6:30-8:00pm
Where:
Culture Center at 410 Columbus Ave, between 79th and 80th Streets
Brooklyn Families Rock for Paid Sick Time
Sunday, October 16, 2011, 11:30am - 01:30pm
1.3 Million New Yorkers lack a single day of paid sick leave . . . we're about to change that.
Join us for public action, arts & crafts, facepainting, balloon animals and a performance by Slavic Soul Party!
When:
October 16, 2011 from 11:30am - 1:30pm
Where:
Greenwood Ball Field, corner of Fort Hamilton Parkway and E. 5th Street in Brooklyn
Fair Pay and Work-Life Balance
Thursday, October 06, 2011, 06:00pm - 08:00pm
Progress and Pitfalls in the Effort to Achieve Fair Pay and Work-Life Balance
Join NY State Sentaor Liz Krueger, author of S. 5674, the Fair Pay Act, and a panel of experts as they explore the hot button issue of fair pay. Learn about the "wage gap" that allows many people to be paid less than they should be for comparable work. Hear about the progress that has been made in the area, and the struggle many people still deal with as they try to achieve work-life balance.
Program Co-sponsor: NYCLA's Women's Rights Committee and New York State Bar Association's Committee on Women in the Law (CWIL)
Faculty:
Dina Bakst, Co-President, A Better Balance; Leslie Kelmachter,President, New York State Trial Lawyers Association, partner at The Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Firm and author of A High Court (Very) Open to Business, published in the New York Law Journal July 7, 2011; State Senator Liz Krueger, author of S.5674, the Fair Pay Act
Where:
New York County Lawyers' Association, 14 Vesey Street, New York, NY
