Unions Addressing the Needs of Working Families

Work and family issues are often misunderstood as simply setting up an
on-site child care center, or providing some financial assistance. In fact,
the efforts of various unions and employers have spanned a much broader
scope and have begun to address the families of union workers as a
fundamental part of worklife. Following is a brief descriptions of actions
that can be and have been taken, including some unions that have taken these
actions. If you wish to see contract language on these, please contact the
Labor Project for Working Families; our database of contract language is
there for you!

Guide to Union Abbreviations

ACTWU--Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union
AFGE--American Federation of Government Employees
AFSCME--American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
ATU--Amalgamated Transit Union
CAW-- Canadian Auto Workers
CSEA--California State Employees Association
CWA--Communications Workers of America
HERE--Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees
IAM--International Association of Machinists
IBEW--International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
ILGWU--International Ladies Garment Workers Union
IUOE--International Union of Operating Engineers
OCAW--Oil, Chemcial and Atomic Workers Union
PEU--Public Employees Union
PSAC--Public Service Alliance Canada
SEIU-- Service Employees International Union
UAW--United Auto Workers
UFCW--United Food and Commercial Workers

Flexible Work Schedules

One of the hardest things for working families is that things don't always
go as planned. Your child misses the bus, you have to run errands on your
lunch hour, you need to take your mother to a mid-day doctor's appointment,
you want to be home by 3pm when your kids get home. There are various ways
for an employer to make work schedules more flexible. However, it is
important to remember that a schedule is not flexible if it is involuntary.
Flexibility means the worker chooses.

Flextime: This is often done by creating a core set of hours when all
workers must be present. Beyond those core hours, the employee may choose
when to come and go, as long as the total hours worked remains the same.
Some may take a 2 hour lunch, others may come in early and leave early. It's
flexible. (SEIU Locals 250, 535, 790; ACTWU; UAW; IAM; Teamsters Local 856)

Job-Sharing: Two workers with the same job may opt to share that job in an
effort to reduce hours. The two workers combined will have the workload and
hours of one person. This is often helpful to employers because it means
extended hours of coverage, while it is also helpful for the worker who
wants to work fewer hours. Because the job is shared, there is always
someone available with the necessary expertise.(Wire Guild Service; SEIU
Local 790; DC Nurses Association)

Part-time: While many employers have begun to create more part-time
positions in an effort to cut costs, unions are (and should be) fighting for
part-time work for those that want it, while simultaneously fighting for
benefits for those part-timers. The part-time workforce should be one with
full benefits and equal respect. Part-time work is an important means of
flexibility for many working families.(IBEW; SEIU; UAW)

Compressed Work Week: Work a full forty hour work week in 4 days instead of 5 or work 80 hours over 9 days with the tenth day off; this provides an
extra day of rest or time for family obligations. Again, this is a work
option that provides flexibility for some, but would be detrimental to
family life for others, so it must remain an option.

Notice for overtime: One of the hardest aspects of balancing work and family
is not knowing in advance when one might have to work overtime. The union
can bargain for notice for overtime to help ease that burden.(OCAW Local
8-149; UAW)

Telecommuting: With the rapid advancement of technology, many office jobs
can be done from afar today. The ability to work at home may reduce
commuting time stress. It may also offer a more productive work environment. However, it is important to spend some time in the workplace and for the union to stay connected to members. Union policies address these issues and others. (UAW Local 1853; CSEA; PSAC; SEIU Local 535)

The labor work/family clearinghouse has more information about specific
flexible policies.
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Leave Policies

While the federal government has finally recognized the value of family
leave, it is no time for the union to stop its fight now. There are still
many workers who are not covered by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act
(FMLA); the leave is unpaid and limited in other ways. There are many ways
in which collective bargaining can make leave policies better.

FMLA: This law, passed in 1993, provides 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the
care of a newborn, newly adopted child, or a sick child, spouse or parent,
or for a workers own serious health condition. It applies to workers who
have worked for an employer with more than 50 employees for at least a year,
and who have worked at least 1250 hours in the past year. This applies to
both mothers and fathers, and a newborn child does not have to be sick for
the parents to take leave. Many unions have written into their contracts a
clause to ensure the enforcement of this law.(HERE Locals 2; AFTRA/SAG; UAW)

Paid Leave: Many unions have negotiated paid sick leave to care for a sick
family member. Some contracts have won paid FMLA leave, usually, a partial
wage replacement.(OCAW; PEU Local 1; SEIU Local 715)

Part-time return to work: When new parents first become ready to return to
work, they often are not ready for full time. Infant care is very difficult
to find, and the initial parent-child separation may be difficult. Part-time
return to work can ease this burden. A parent may opt to work part- time for
a pre-determined amount of time after child birth or adoption.(Northern
California Newspaper Guild)

Paid Time off: Workers may pool all of their paid time such as personal
days, sick days and vacation days into one lump sum of paid time off which
they may utilize whenever they want. This helps families deal with
emergencies and allows greater flexibility.(HERE Local 2; ATU Local 1574)

Leave Bank: Workers voluntarily contribute several of their vacation or sick
leave days to a central 'bank' to which all workers have access in the event
of family emergencies.(NYS Nurses Association; IBEW; UAW; CSEA)

Other: Time off for school related activities such as parent-teacher
conferences, or school volunteer activities. Time off for community service
activities. Time may be paid or unpaid.(ACTWU; SEIU Local 790)

The Labor Work/Family Clearinghouse has more information on specific Leave
Policies.
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Child/Elder Care

There are many ways that unions can negotiate assistance with child and
elder care. With women delaying childbirth, there is a growing number of
families who are taking care of young children and aging parents at the same
time. Unions may address the needs through financial assistance, direct
service or information services.

Financial Assistance

Dependent Care Assistance Plan (DCAP): allows employees to set aside pre-tax
salary for child or elder care and avoid taxes on that salary. (AFSCME Local
1000; SEIU Locals 250, 535, 790; Teamsters Local 856)

Child and elder care fund: the employer contributes a certain amount of
money, and the employees may later choose how to spend that money. Some
options include: child care centers, dependent care subsidies, etc.(CAW;
HERE Local 2; SEIU Local 1877)

Group rates at local center: An employer may negotiate group rates at a
local child care center.

Long-term care insurance: this may be increasingly important as a means of
addressing eldercare as the need for long term care grows.(UAW)

Resource and Referral/Education

: One of the biggest problems with dependent care is knowing where to find
good information. A resource and referral network provides information on
child and elder care providers in the area , and often help family members
determine quality of a caregiver through seminars about dependant care. Many
resource and referral networks operate on a statewide and national level to
provide child and elder care services. (UAW; ILGWU; CWA)

Onsite/Nearsite Centers

: A union may bargain for an onsite center, or may consider building a
center at the union. Both can be helpful to working families, provided the
quality remains high. The onsite center allows parents to visit with their
children on breaks, and presents little hassle for drop off and pick up.
Some centers offer emergency care which provides child care when a parent's
regular arrangements break down: a provider is sick, or it is a school
holiday. It allows parents to still get to work and not worry about making
other arrangements.(AFSCME Local 1000; UAW; IBEW; Public Employees
Federation; AFGE)

Sick Child Care: This may be provided by means of a back-up center for
mildly sick children. It may also mean providing in-home care for sick
children. Finally, it may mean allowing parents to use their sick days to
care for their sick children.(SEIU; AFSCME, Local 1000)

The Labor Work/Family Clearinghouse has more information on specific
Child/Eldercare Programs.
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Definition of Family

Domestic Partner Benefits: A family is defined in a way that includes more
than the traditional married couple and children. Domestic partners may be
same-sex or opposite-sex couples that are in a committed relationship. A
union can include domestic partners in any clause where previously only
spouse or other dependents were listed. This includes providing health
benefits for domestic partners, and allowing employee leave for domestic
partner illness, as is offered to traditional families under FMLA.(ACTWU;
SEIU Local 715)

Bereavement Leave: Once again, if family is given a broader definition,
workers may take bereavement leave for those that matter the most. Many
contracts now include a broader definition of family for when bereavement
leave may be taken. This may include domestic partners, in-laws,
grandparents and siblings.(SEIU Locals 235, 250, 616, 715; OCAW; IUOE)

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Other Family-Friendly Benefits

Adoption Benefits: For families who adopt, there is a financial cost
incurred. Some unions have negotiated for an adoption benefit to help with
that cost, or they have negotiated for time off for court appearances. Also,
under FMLA, new parents are allowed 12 weeks leave for adoption. (HERE Local
28; IBEW Local 1245

) Shift Swap: Ability to swap shifts with another worker to care for family
business.(IBEW; IUOE; ATU; Western Pulp and Paper Workers)

Member Assistance Program: Substance abuse prevention, stress management,
manager training and other seminars/programs provided by the union.(OCAW;
CSEA; SEIU; AFSCME; UAW)

Legal Services: Provides free legal services or advice to members and
retirees. (UAW)

Tuition Assistance: for members and families; may also be a scholarship
fund.(ACTWU; UFCW, Local 1776)

Half-day/Part-day Vacation: This can be very helpful in dealing with family
emergencies. For example, a child's or elder's doctor's appointment does not
take a full day; employees can use two half days instead.(IUOE; United
Steelworkers; IAM)

The Labor Work/Family Clearinghouse may have more specific information on
these other policies.

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