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On Father’s Day, Low Wages Hurting Single Dads |
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On this Father’s Day, we’d like to wish all fathers a Happy Father’s Day. An official holiday to honor fathers was initially proposed in 1909 by the daughter of a widowed father. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, raised six children after his wife died in childbirth.
Today, when we think of single parents, we almost always think of single mothers. But families headed by single fathers are one of the fastest-growing groups in our country. While on average, single-father families are better off financially than single-mother families, many of them are stretching to make ends meet, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), which last week released these Fast Facts for Father’s Day.
Here are a few of the facts:
- Among people living in single-parent families headed by a working father, almost 28 percent are economically insecure. CEPR says economically insecure means their income falls below the “basic family budget”—a measure of the basic goods and services needed to make ends meet for where they live. By comparison, among people in all working families, about 17 percent are economically insecure.
- Public assistance, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, public health insurance (Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program) and food stamps, helps single fathers take care of their families. Before taking public assistance into account, 37.6 percent of people in single-father families are economically insecure.
- About one in four men work in low-wage jobs, which CEPR defines as one that pays less than $11.11 an hour. The typical man working in a low-wage job earned $8.64 an hour in 2005. While women are still more likely to work in low-wage jobs than men, the gap between men and women is narrowing. Regardless of gender, the typical low-wage worker today earns about the same per hour, after adjusting for inflation, as they did in 1979.
You can learn more about single-father families and economic insecurity here.
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Single By Choice now the Appeal All Time-off Company 2008
Where applicants and Employees with family members need not apply:
The saga goes on and every word here is the truth.
I started this poetic tale when I was in my youth.
When working for Pacific Telephone, It was 1976
My wife was at work and my 3 year old son got sick.
I asked my boss for a day off, because my child was sick.
I said make it a sick day, vacation, or PDO you can pick.
He said hire a nurse or get some one else to stay!
Come to work right now or you will get no pay!
He passed out in my arms so to the hospital I went.
The next day at work to the boss’s office I was sent.
We are not going to pay you and you’re on absence control,
One more absence and you and your job will pay the toll.
There ought to be a law to stop policies like that!
I went to see the union and to have a little chat!
There is a law in California its labor code 2 3 3
It says I get sick days to care for my family.
No, No, says the AT&T our sick leave is only just for you.
We won’t pay you and you can’t use your vacation too.
You better be here every day; we have work for you to do.
Or with our attendance control we’ll just get rid of you.
We expect you here each day for all your working life.
Family care responsibilities, is why you have a wife.
I am now retired but like an elephant I don’t forget.
And justice for our families is what I want to get.
The ideal employee is one who is Single By Choice.
Company employees should sing in one single voice.
We did not hire your Family not mom, dad, husband or wife.
No Family commitments! Now that’s for all your working life.
Single By Choice Company, No family members need apply.
You must be here each and every day until you retire or die!
We won in San Francisco there is sick leave for all.
Join the fight for Families it is time to answer the call.
There is another labor code a new law section 2 3 4
They can’t count family absences to toss you out the door.
The state says they cannot do this; it is a violation of the law.
We’ll appeal, AT&T screams, as they are running down the hall.
We have just learned AT&T lost an Appeal on labor code section 233.
The Appeal the Time-off Company will still fight against our family.
It is the same company that fired women who were carrying a child,
AT&T took half our social security from our pension when we retired.
The children of Alexander and the infamous Ma Bell,
Only care about profit and our families can go to Hell.
Do not loose hope for our families the fight will still go on
Remember my Family It is always darkest before the Dawn.
In California, the first Paid Family Leave was won
All Families in America need this to cover every one.
Congress must pass the Balancing and the Healthy Families act.
God knows we need these laws Now It is the time to Act!
David Hurlburt
CWA Local 9410
One Sick Kin Away From Being Fired
A Poem by David G. Hurlburt CWA local 9410 © 2007
It is hard for a family to make both ends meet,
Both of us working so we are not on the street.
Minimum wage workers need every single dime;
They also need some emergency kin care time.
We work hard, and at night and we’re so tired,
Just one sick child away from being fired.
Why can’t we use sick leave to care for our kin,
When the Bosses fires us for that is a just a sin.
Not any time off, with pay, for short time family care;
When the roll is called up yonder will these managers be there?
We work hard and at night and we’re so tired.
Just one sick spouse away from being fired.
Companies protect and defend at all costs their mighty corporate rights
So when you take time off for your family, be prepared to join the fights.
Working families, we need to lobby congress and the legislatures too.
We need a law so are jobs are protected when our child gets the flu..
We work hard and at night and we’re so tired,
Just one sick parent away from being fired.
Providing time for families doesn’t cost it will pay.
It reduces turnover because more employees stay.
It, increases loyalty, dedication and it is caring and kind.
A benefit employees value and it’s one that’s hard to find.
We work hard and at night and we’re so tired.
Just one sick self away from being fired.
Too many times we’re fired and end up in the street.
Loss of jobs or pay and our bills we can’t meet.
Bankruptcy from medical bills or the loss of a job,
We loose heart and hope and our kids learn to rob
You can pay to build families or tear them apart.
The dollars spent on sick leave are just a start;
Childcare, after school programs to care for our kids
And medical care for every one even those on the skids.
If you don’t do these things you will still pay the price.
In court costs and prisons and that is not very nice.
A nations economy must serve all the people in the land;
Not greed or the wealthy, government must take a stand.
The social safety net is not just for the poor,
It protects us all from the thief at our door.
One Sick Kin Away From Being Fired was published by AFL-CIO
David Hurlburt
650-355-8102
dghurlb@pacbell.net