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Survey Question: Have you ever been denied permission or disciplined at work for taking time to be with a loved one who needed care?
About Ellen Bravo
For four decades Ellen has been organizing among women. Activist, author, acclaimed public speaker, her talks have been described as “moving, witty and sometimes bawdy.” Learn more about Ellen.
The "powers that be" in
America are hypocrites when it comes
to "family values"; praising
women who put their families first, but
refusing to grant them the flexibility
they need to take time off, and in some
cases, firing them for staying home with
a sick kid. That's how Ellen Bravo sees
it. Bravo is director of Family Values
at Work Consortium, a national group
that advocates for paid sick days and
family leave requirements. She's being
honored by the Frances Perkins Center
in Newcastle.
Bravo is the
recipient of this year's Intelligence
and Courage Award, which is derived
from a speech given by Perkins in 1929
when she was New York State Industrial
Commissioner, in which she pledged, "I
promise to use what brains I have to
meet problems with intelligence and courage."
Like Perkins,
who served as Labor Secretary under
FDR, Bravo is an outspoken advocate
for the rights of workers, and for working
women. And Bravo challenges the vision
that she says is perpetuated by the "powers
that be."
She spoke with MPBN's Keith Shortall.
Taking on the Big Boys Why Feminism is Good for Families, Business, and the Nation
Some point to recent gains for women – Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House, Hillary Clinton’s candidacy for President, Harvard’s appointment of its first woman president, equal pay for women tennis players at Wimbledon – as proof that women in this country are well on their way to equality. In Taking on the Big Boys, Ellen Bravo hails that hard-won progress but warns against “abracadabra arithmetic – thinking that one or a few equals plenty.” Find out why Ellen says we have to go beyond smashing the glass ceiling to redesign the building, for women and men, from the ground up. Read more about the book >>>
"Women are fortunate to have champions like Ellen Bravo. This excellent book will be of value to policymakers, activists, and caring citizens alike."
—Senator Edward M. Kennedy
"All working women must read this! Not only does Bravo vividly expose workplace inequities, she lays out real life solutions – picking up just where my film, ‘9 to 5’ left off." —Jane Fonda Read more reviews >>>
About 9 to 5 Much of the grassroots organizing described in Taking on the Big Boys is based on Ellen’s work at 9to5, National Association. For nearly 35 years, 9to5 has been grounded among low-wage women, aimed at strengthening their ability to win economic justice. 9to5 has been in the forefront of the fight for pay equity, family leave, fairness for part-time and temp workers, and an end to sexual harassment and punitive welfare laws. If you have a problem with discrimination, lack of flexibility for family care, sexual harassment or other issues, call 9to5's tollfree hotline, 1-800-522-0925. Learn how you can join 9to5, order its publications, support its work.
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