Testimony to Support Full Funding for the Universal Paid Leave Act
Testimony by Zach Schalk on behalf of DC for Democracy
before the Committee of Labor & Workforce Development
Regarding the Implementation of the Universal Paid Leave Act
May 4, 2017
Councilmember Silverman and other committee members,
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Zach Schalk, and I am a resident of Columbia Heights in Ward 1. Today, I am testifying on behalf of DC for Democracy, which I’ve recently joined as the Communications Chair. We are a progressive, all-volunteer grassroots organization with over 600 members that promotes the political empowerment of ordinary citizens. We are also active members of the DC Paid Family Leave Coalition, and I’m here today to strongly support the inclusion of an additional $20 million in the fiscal year 2018 budget to fully fund startup costs for this vital paid leave program.
The Universal Paid Leave Act will make the District a better place to live and work. It will provide security to workers and dignity to jobs vital to our local economy. It will make our city a better place to have a family, and will provide a positive example to other cities around the nation looking to do the same. These were just some of the reasons that first motivated me to become active in the campaign to pass this legislation last year, calling the mayor and councilmember offices, sending tweets, and educating friends. Successfully passing the Universal Paid Leave Act was a satisfying victory, but it also wasn’t the end of the struggle.
I have had the privilege of only working at jobs that offer generous sick and parental leave options, and I have seen how important these benefits can be. They are important to everyone, and not just those of us who have been lucky with a good employer.
We need to fully fund the startup costs for the Universal Paid Leave Act today. This cannot wait. People who work are struggling to take care of a sick child or an elderly parent today. New mothers are being forced to choose between keeping their job and properly caring for their newborn baby today. Every day without this program is a day without justice for working families in the District. This cannot wait until next year, especially after the long and hard fight that was waged to come this far. If our budget shows our values, it must include the full $40 million needed to get the Universal Paid Leave Act up and running.
This is not a radical idea. DC for Democracy members strongly voted to support the passage of the Paid Leave legislation, and continue to be active in the fight for implementation. Eighty percent of Washingtonians support it. In fact, nearly every other nation in the world has a similar or more generous program in place already. Especially in a city with rising cost of living and expanding inequality, doing what’s right to fully fund this groundbreaking social insurance program will serve as material proof that we’re all in this together. It’s well deserved and much needed, and there’s no time to waste.
While the source of funding used to support program startup costs is not our primary concern, we do support Councilmember Grosso’s Reserve Fund Improvement Act (B22-0119), which would generate an additional $90 million in onetime funding for the Housing Production Trust Fund and school modernization, thus freeing up more than the needed amount of funds in the capital budget to get the Universal Paid Leave program off the ground.
I was proud of my city when the Universal Paid Leave Act passed in the Council last year. It was the right thing to do then, and fully funding the startup costs to get the Universal Paid Leave program off the ground is the right thing to do next. Please continue to make us proud by including the full $40 million for startup funding in the fiscal year 2018 budget and starting the process of implementing this historic legislation. Thank you for your consideration.
