The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act should be passed, the U.S. bishops have said in their message for Labor Day, in order to create an equitable economy for women and families.
The chairman of the domestic justice committee of the U.S. bishops, Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, stated in his message for Labor Day that “there is currently no federal law requiring employers to provide short-term, reasonable accommodations to pregnant women in the workplace and the PWFA would do so.”
He declared: “No woman should be required to put her or her child’s health, miscarriage, preterm delivery, financial stability, or insurance benefits at risk just because she wants a short-term, reasonable, pregnancy-related accommodation.
In May 2021, the PWFA was approved by the House and sent to the Senate’s committee on health, education, labor, and pensions.
Now that the current Congress’ legislative session is coming to an end, Coakley said, “we encourage swift adoption by the Senate of this plan that would make the workplace safer for women and their unborn children.”
According to the archbishop, typical requests for accommodations “include being allowed to carry a glass of water, a stool for activities that need lengthy periods of standing, or lighter duty for jobs that require heavy lifting.”
In low-wage and physically demanding occupations, he said, “women are often refused these modest allowances and sacked or forced to take leave without pay.”
In addition to supporting the passage of the PWFA, Coakley urged the expansion of the Child Tax Credit, noting that the Church “looks at the well-being of society through the lens of the well-being of the family” and that such policies “would have a profound impact on family stability, especially for families who are financially vulnerable.”
“Congress should forward a CTC plan that has no minimum income limit, covers families with mixed immigration status, is provided to every kid – regardless of the size of the family — and is accessible for the year before birth,” he wrote.
The Dobbs ruling, according to Coakley, was “an extraordinarily crucial step towards mending the profound scars of abortion and preserving all preborn human life,” noting that this is the first Labor Day since Roe v. Wade was overruled.
But creating a society in which abortion is impossible has always been and will always be our goal as Catholics.
This unique time requires that we all work tirelessly to rethink social policies in ways that are pro-woman, pro-family, pro-worker and, therefore, legitimately pro-life. It needs a society and an economy that supports marriages, families, and women.
The American bishops, he said, are in favour of “fair wages, a federal paid leave program, and the ability to organize.”
“We have long advocated for a system where everyone in society has access to necessities like inexpensive housing, food, education, and healthcare.”
These “shared goods” “cannot be accomplished via individual efforts alone, but need the partnership and cooperation of everyone, and the exclusion of no one,” he stated, referring to them as such.
In addition to advocating for federal policy, Coakley also supported labour union efforts and volunteering to assist low-income families.
He remembered Monsignor George Higgins, who passed away 20 years prior, as he concluded his message.
Higgins, who Coakley described as “a strong supporter of economic justice for everyone,” collaborated extensively with unions and union leaders, notably Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers, and was given several honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
He was the director of what was then termed the Social Action Department of the bishops’ conference and, in fact, produced or was advised on the U.S. Catholic bishops’ Labor Day declarations for decades.”
“Inspired by him, let us continue his excellent work in constructing a decent society for everyone. May Monsignor Higgins’ spirit and example serve as an inspiration for us, giving us the knowledge to advance justice and enhance the lives of workers and their families as he did throughout his life.