Family Leave Expands in California

PROGRESS ON THE FAMILY LEAVE FRONT:

Starting in January 2021, families in California may breathe a little easier, reports Politico. That's when California Senate Bill 1383 goes into effect.

SB 1383 extends job-protected (unpaid) leave to businesses with five or more employees and expands the definition of qualifying family members to include siblings, grandparents and grandchildren. 

“Californians deserve to be able to take time off to care for themselves or a sick family member without fearing they’ll lose their job,” says Governor Gavin Newsom. “The COVID-19 pandemic has only further revealed the need for a family leave policy that truly serves families and workers, especially those who keep our economy running."

Next step: paid family leave.

The Writers Guild (WGA) contract includes Family Leave

In 2017, the Writers Guild negotiated a new provision—Article 68 of the 2017 MBA—giving writers and writer-producers employed on the staff of an episodic series or serial the right to take up to eight weeks of leave to care for a new child. Guild members advocated for this leave as necessary to protect their writing careers at a point in their lives when they needed time with their families. The need to provide leave rights under the MBA was particularly acute because laws that protect workers in many other sectors of the economy frequently do not apply to writers due to the seasonal or intermittent nature of their employment.

The agreement between WGA and (AMPTP) sets a baseline for the benefits and rights extended to TV writers.

The Writers Guild added protections to their contract, and so can we! Animation writers deserve protections. We all deserve protections. #animationisfamily #negotiations2018