Yesterday the Oregon Senate passed a revised version of House Bill 2372. The House is expected to approve the minor amendments and Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski already indicated he will sign the bill into law. The new law amends Oregon Revised Statutes section 653.077 and will likely go into effect in January 2008.

The legislation requires most employers to provide two 30-minute unpaid rest periods for pumping during an 8-hour work day. Employers are also required to provide a private location for the employee to express milk. The law does not cover employers with fewer than 25 employees, and it exempts employers if the requirements pose an “undue hardship” in light of the size, financial resources, nature or structure of the employer’s business.

This new law will be particularly powerful because it comes with a stiff penalty for violations. The Oregon Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries may assess a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for willful violations of the law.

Last week another workplace pumping measure became law in Montana when Governor Brian Schweitzer signed Senate Bill 89. Unlike the Oregon law, Montana’s workplace protections only apply to employees of public employers such as state and county governments, municipalities, and school districts and the university system. Public employers are required to provide a room or other location for pumping and allow reasonable unpaid break time unless doing so would unduly disrupt the public employer’s operations.

The broader law passed in New Mexico in March requires “an employer, including the state and its political subdivisions” to establish a clean and private place to pump and flexible break times.

It’s great to see such protections being enacted. Working and pumping mothers need and deserve all of the support they can get. That reminds me, I’m reading a newly-released book that’s a must-have for all working and pumping moms: The Milk Memos: How Real Moms Learned to Mix Business with Babies-and How You Can, Too. I’ll post a book review when I’ve had a chance to finish reading!

Sources: The Oregonian, The Reluctant Lactivist

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

“There are lots of images out there of formula feeding; it’s so common it doesn’t even register with people,” Lewis says. “But there are no images of breastfeeding in the public venue … the images may be out there, but we don’t see them. It’s not in the social psyche.” …

The show is open to all artists, and original two- or three-dimensional works in all media will be accepted. Lewis says, “Artists are encouraged to consider the theme broadly, whimsically and seriously.”

The show will run at the Lincoln City Cultural Center and the Visual Arts Center in Newport from August 3-30 in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week and Breastfeeding Success Month in Lincoln County.

It costs $5 to submit an entry and submissions must be received by 4 p.m. on June 14, 2007. The juried show offers prizes of $200 for first place, $100 for second, and $50 for third and a People’s Choice award will be given at the end of the display.

Perhaps artist Birgit will enter!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

A public hearing on the measure is tentatively scheduled for February 7th, 2007 before the House Human Services and Women’s Wellness Committee. It’s vital that working and pumping mothers in Oregon appear to testify about their experiences pumping at work. Testimony describing both good and bad experiences and the value of supporting breastfeeding mothers will help counter any resistance from the business community. The Committee needs to hear that breastfed babies get sick less often and less severely and that businesses who support breastfeeding mothers will benefit from reduced absenteeism from working mothers caring for sick children.

If you want to testify, contact Chris through the link to the Reluctant Lactivist blog above. Even if you cannot testify, you can support the legislation by sending an email using this form.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3