Paid Family Leave, Flight Attendant Security Measures Advance   by Mike Hall, Jun 8, 2009

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Under bills passed by the House, federal workers are a step closer to receiving paid family leave following the birth or adoption of a new child and flight attendants would receive self-defense security training.

By a vote of 258-154, the House on June 4 passed the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act (H.R. 626), introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.). It would allow federal workers up to four weeks of paid family leave for the birth or adoption of a child and  would allow workers to use up to eight weeks of accrued paid sick time or annual leave immediately following the first four weeks of parental leave. Says Maloney:

As more families are relying on just one paycheck in these times, we can’t afford not to help them in this way. The federal government should join the majority of the private sector—including 75 of the Fortune 100—by enacting workplace policies that invest in employees and their children. It’s just unacceptable that right now the U.S. is the only industrialized country that does not provide support for federal workers with a new child.

Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) introduced the Senate version of the bill (S. 354) in March.

Meanwhile, under the Transportation Security Administration reauthorization bill (H.R. 2200)  passed June 4 on a 397-25 House vote, flight attendants would receive up to five hours of hands-on, self-defense security training every two years. Currently, such training for flight attendants is voluntary.

 Says Patricia Friend, president of the Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA):

Since the day after 9/11, AFA-CWA has demanded enhanced security and self-defense training to provide flight attendants with the effective tools needed to increase safety and security onboard the aircraft .Over the past seven years, the federal government has focused on cockpit security, but little has been done to protect flight attendants. This self defense language, if enacted into law, will finally provide all flight attendants with the training to protect themselves and the traveling public [and] will further enhance their role as safety and security professionals.

The bill now goes to the Senate.

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