February 2024 Newsletter
Our first 2024 California State Advocacy 101 + Paid Leave Rights Training is coming up!
Tuesday, March 12, 2024 at 12 PM
Join us to learn how you can advocate for better and more accessible paid leave in California. This training is part I of a two-part training for both new and experienced advocates. It will cover California State Advocacy 101 + Paid Leave Rights and the bills we’ll be working on in 2024.
Please register here to join us on March 12th at 12 PM on zoom and feel free to share this invitation with your community.
We will be holding part II of Advocacy Training in English on Thursday, April 25th at 12 pm. We will also hold the same two part Advocacy Training in Spanish on Thursday, April 11th at 4 pm and Thursday, April 25th at 4 pm. Reach out to Angelica Andrade at angelica@workfamilyca.org with any questions.
SAVE THE DATE for our virtual Advocacy Day on Tuesday, May 7th at 10 am!
The Coalition is Joining the Great American Write-In in Orange County
The California Work & Family Coalition is joining Women For: Orange County at their 36th Annual Great American Wirte-In. This free event takes place on Saturday, March 9th at 9:30 am at the Delhi Center in Santa Ana (505 E. Central Ave).
Over 50 organizations will be participating by bringing information and materials aimed at educating our legislators about important issues in civil rights, health care, education and more! Coalition staff will have postcards to send to our lawmakers related to our top priorities focused on advancing and improving access to paid leave and other workplace supports. Click here to learn more.
Coalition Staff Testified with CPEDV on Paid Family Leave to the Select Committee on Domestic Violence
Coalition Director, Jenya Cassidy joined members of the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV) at the Assembly Select Committee on Domestic Violence on Tuesday, February 27th in the State Capitol. The Select Committee, Chaired by Assemblymember Blanca Rubio, heard testimony from DV prevention leaders on the importance of programs that support survivors and the role of economic justice in preventing intimate partner violence.
Melodie Kruspodin, Prevention Specialist at the CPEDV, summed up the reason DV advocates emphasize anti-poverty measures in their work:
“Social determinants of health and risk factors for experiencing domestic violence include poverty, unstable employment, and limited access to social safety net programs like paid family leave. Though there are multiple root causes that contribute to communities experiencing domestic violence, economic insecurity is a common risk factor that can be prevented or addressed through economic justice efforts.”
The Coalition collaborates with CPEDV on education and organizing campaigns focused on advancing paid leave as a key element of economic justice.
Domestic Violence Prevention Panelists with Assemblymember Rubio. Pictured here: Dr. Paméla Tate, Co-Executive Director of Black Women Revolt Against Domestic Violence; Pablo Espinoza, Co-Executive Director of Community United Against Violence; Natchawi “Nat” Wadman, Community Program Director of the Center for the Pacific Asian Family; Keely Linton, Executive Director of Strong Hearted Native Women’s Coalition; Tejeswi Dodda, Self Sufficiency Coordinator of Maitri; Jenya Cassidy, Executive Director of the California Work & Family Coalition; Melodie Kruspodin, Prevention Specialist of the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence and Assemblymember Rubio.
CA Small Business Owners Get Training on Paid Family Leave
Education and Training Manager, Jasmine Amian and Coalition Director, Jenya Cassidy joined Bianca Blomquist and Josaline Cuesta of Small Business Majority to hold a virtual paid leave training for California owners of over 40 small businesses on February 28th. The training covered paid and job protected leave with information about the paid family leave small business grant program and the ways that independent contractors can opt into SDI and Paid Family Leave.
The next virtual training for California small business owners will be Friday, April 12th at 9 am. Save the date and look for the registration link in our next newsletter!
