A Better Balance has long championed the need for robust pregnancy and lactation accommodation laws to ensure workers can maintain their jobs without endangering their health or the health of their families. We’ve fought to pass workplace pregnancy accommodation laws in over 30 states and localities across the country, as well as the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act, both of which came into effect last year.
Even with federal rights in place, state and local pregnancy and lactation accommodation laws remain a critical source of protection for workers. We are committed to ensuring these laws are properly interpreted and actively enforced around the country, especially in industries that have historically excluded pregnant and lactating workers.
Last week, A Better Balance jointly filed an amicus brief in California state court in support of a group of women dockworkers in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. These workers, who are represented by the ACLU, are seeking to enforce their rights to pregnancy and lactation accommodations under California state law. We filed the brief alongside The Center for WorkLife Law, Equal Rights Advocates, Legal Aid at Work, and 12 additional women’s rights advocacy organizations.
In the brief, which is available here, we explain how California’s pregnancy and lactation laws are a public health imperative, and a necessary tool for ensuring women can access high-paying jobs in the trades. We also address the importance of class actions as a mechanism for tackling systemic violations of workers’ rights, and outline how plaintiffs’ claims under California’s pregnancy and lactation accommodations laws are particularly appropriate for class certification.
We will continue taking opportunities to support the right of all pregnant and lactating workers to access the accommodations they need at work, without delay or penalty.
