Working Families Brace for Attacks on FMLA

The Family Medical Leave Act, signed into law by President Clinton in 1993 after 10 years of lobbying by unions and workers' advocates, is under attack by the Bush Administration. The Bush labor department is drafting proposed changes to the law and refusing to divulge details of the alterations. It is expected that the changes will gut the law. According to Senator Ted Kennedy, who has proposed legislation to guarantee 7 paid sick days a year for employees, the Bush Administration is planning to "emasculate the FMLA."

The FMLA provides eligible employees up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave for the serious illness of an employee or an immediate family member, or the birth or adoption of a child, with continued Health Insurance. The law has helped million of working Americans cope during trying times without having to fear the loss of their jobs.

Read much more about the FMLA.