Bertram, left, and Gillibrand
EAST FISHKILL – A small Duchess County high-tech manufacturing firm is fully behind legislation proposed by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand that would provide all workers with paid leave, including for medical and parental needs.
Speaking at Spectral Systems in Hopewell Junction, Gillibrand called the FAMILY Act “a smart, pragmatic business decision.”
FAMILY – the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act – would establish a national gender-neutral paid family and medical leave insurance program, similar to Social Security. The senator said workers would pay about the cost of a cup of coffee a week for the program, with a match by the company.
It’s an idea that made sense to Mary Jane Bertram, the Hudson Valley regional director of the Workforce Development Institute. Bertram emotionally recalled an earlier experience when she was raising a young son, alone. He was in the hospital and she took time to care for him.
“They weren’t happy,” Bertram recalled. “I even went in on a weekend to make sure that the paperwork and some of my task was taken care of. They ended up letting me go because I was ‘unreliable’.”
Gillibrand said that would not happen with the FAMILY Act.
“In a globalized 21st century economy, how are we going to stay competitive if we’re forcing workers out of the job, like this?” Gillibrand asked.
The senator cited several global companies, including Google and Morgan Stanley who are already doing what the act would require, and in all cases, the net benefit to the company has been positive.
“It’s much better to keep them in place and have some short term needs. You can hire a short term employee. But, having that trained worker who has commitment and loyalty to the company, increases morale, increases efficiency, it’s better for the company long term.”
Spectral Systems Vice President of Finance Bruce Capuano said the FAMILY Act would provide a practical means for the company to help hard working employees while reducing the financial stress that often accompanies extended personal leave.”
“We pride ourselves on being a family friendly employer,” Capuano said.
Gillibrand, a Democrat, has several Democrat cosponsors, but said there
are no Republicans on board, yet. She expects there will be and
said her goal for this year is “to find bipartisan support.”
A companion bill has been introduced in the House.
