PathWays PA E-Alert: August 29, 2011
JOBS FOR WOMEN
As you may have heard, the President is giving a speech on jobs around Labor Day. Please join national, state and community organizations across the country in urging him to address the employment issues faced by women. And share this plea with organizations in your networks and ask them to sign. Please visit the website to see the full text of the letter.
Please sign your organization on to the letter by contacting Emily Wilson at ewilson@wowonline.org, SUBJECT “Jobs for Women.” Signatures must be received by Aug. 30 to be included in the first distribution to the White House. Please include the organization name exactly as it should appear and include the contact information for the person
authorized to sign such letters.
Sponsors:
National Coalition on Women Jobs and Job Training, National Organization for Women, Older Women’s Economic Security Task Force of the National Council of Women’s Organizations and Wider Opportunities for Women.
DEFECIT COMMITTEE BEGINS WORK
The Joint Select Committee on Defecit Reduction, a task force of congressional leaders appointed under part of the debt ceiling deal in late July, have begun their discussions on committee rules in anticipation of the discussions of what federal programs to cut in order to slash $1.2 trillion
over the next decade.
The committee – joint chaired by Representative Jeb Hensarling of Texas and Senator Patty Murray of Washington – has equal number of representatives from both houses of congress and both sides of the aisle. Included on the commission is Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. A deal must be reached and presented to Congress by November 23rd. If the committee fails to do this, it will trigger mandatory, across the board cuts to domestic and defense programs.
This means essential programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security may now come up in budget discussions, as well as many other programs that help the underserved.
Make your voice heard – contact Senator Toomey’s office at 202-224-4254, or at his contact page. Let him know which programs are most near and dear to you as a Pennsylvanian.
JOIN TWO CALLS ON THE NEW AFTERSCHOOL MEALS GUIDE
The United States Department of Agriculture recently unveiled its new Child and Adult Care Food Program – which includes an important after-school meal program aimed at giving at-risk youth a means to have nutritious meals after school hours.
The USDA is holding a series of webinars on the program throughout late August and early September. To find a schedule and register for one of the webinars, click here. Please double check, as some are open to the general public, but others are intended for specific charities. If you have questions on this webinar, contact Emily.buckham@fns.usda.gov
or Sara.Gold@fns.usda.gov .
In addition, the Food Research and Action Center has put together an Afterschool Meals Guide to help increase participation in the program. In addition, they will be holding a conference call on September 14th at 1 p.m. on conducting outreach for the program, as part of a monthly series addressing different aspects of the program. To register, click here.
Pennsylvania Updates
STOP HIGHMARK FROM RAISING SPECIAL CARE RATES
With the announcement that Highmark wants to raise rates on Special Care – the private program that replaced adultBasic – Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN) is calling for a hearing before the insurance commissioner.
42,000 people lost insurance when adultBasic ended – and according to PHAN, only 21 percent of them have enrolled in Special Care, a program meant to assist those who lost adultBasic. For those who had been covered by adultBasis under Special Care rates increased from $36 a month to $162 a month while limiting doctor’s visits to only four times a year.
Under the proposed rate increase, the rates would increase an additional $12 or $13 per month for a program intended for people already suffering under the burdens of higher prices and reduced coverage while working on a limited budget.
To find out more, please visit the PHAN website, or click here to sign the petition calling for a hearing before the Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner.
EVENTS
WEBINAR AIMS TO SHOW HOW BEST TO USE UPCOMING CENSUS POVERTY DATA
The Coalition on Human Needs will hold a webinar in anticipation of the Census Bureau’s annual survey on poverty, income and health insurance coverage.
WHEN: September 8th at 1:00
Early reports from the survey have shown that the number of people in poverty grew by 7.1 million from 2006 to 2009, and that the number of uninsured rose. In addition, one-third of our nation was at or near poverty level.
The webinar is intended for those who want to know the best predictions about the data, and best uses moving forward. It will also include how to look up state data and prepare press releases and other media advisories based on the data. Presenters will include Arloc Sherman of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Deborah Weinstein of the Coalition on Human Needs.
To register, click here.
WOMEN’S ECONOMIC SECURITY FORUM TO ADDRESS WAGE GAP BETWEEN GENDERS
On Monday, September 12th, the United States Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau will host the Promoting Equal Pay, Workplace Flexibility, and Resources for Women Owned Businesses event, which seeks to address the root of the wage gap between men and women, and the impact it has on individuals, families and communities. In addition, there will be information on what can be done to address the gap, as well as workshops on such important topics as workplace flexibility, paid sick leave and government resources for women owned businesses.
WHEN: Monday, September 12, 2011, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
WHERE: Papadakis
Integrated Sciences
Building at Drexel University
(located at the corner of 33rd and Chestnut St.)
Free and open to the public
The forum is a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau (WB), the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), U.S. Department of Labor Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), the U.S. Small Business Administration, Drexel University and Pathways PA.
Registration is required to attend the event. To register, click here. If you have any questions, contact Rose Holandez at holandez.rose@dol.gov or 215-861-4865.
REQUEST FOR BUSINESSES THAT PROVIDE PAID SICK DAY
Are you a business owner that provides paid sick days to your employees? Where you work are you provided with the opportunity to stay home when sick?
If so you can take part in the Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces Business Decal Campaign.
The Decal Campaign is an opportunity for us to thank every business in Philadelphia
who does the right thing for their workers. If your business supports earned sick days and
would like a decal, please fill out our survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/decals. We will send you a decal that you can put in your window so customers know you have a healthy workplace. We will also include information about your business on our website and in our materials.
For more information or if you have any questions please contact Kate Scully at kscully@pathwayspa.org or 610-543-5022 x 255.
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