U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative:
The 3 million members of the National Education Association, who educate and support 50 million students across the nation, urge you to vote YES on the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act, H.R. 3110. Votes on this issue may be included in the NEA Report Card for the 117th Congress.
The 2010 Break Time law provided important protections that ensured employees would have reasonable break time and a private place to pump breast milk. However, the law excludes certain categories of employees, including educators; in fact, nearly one in four women of childbearing age is not covered by the Break Time law. The PUMP Act would:
- Protect the nearly 9 million employees who are not now covered by the Break Time law;
- Require employers to provide reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for breastfeeding employees to pump during the workday;
- Provide employers with clarity on when pumping time must be paid and when it may be unpaid, leaving in place existing law protecting many salaried workers and clarifying that any time spent pumping while the employee is working must be counted as hours worked; and
- Ensure that nursing mothers have access to remedies that are available for other violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Decades of scientific research tell us that breastfeeding helps put children on the path to life-long health and wellness. This strong foundation, in turn, can pave the way for their future success in school. The PUMP Act supports children’s early development, while also recognizing that breastfeeding mothers are crucial breadwinners for their families. We urge you to vote YES on the PUMP Act.
Sincerely,
Marc Egan
Director of Government Relations
National Education Association
