I don’t know about the rest of you who are freelancing artists or filmmakers, but pregnancy in Brooklyn wasn’t professionally kind to me. Productions companies and film sets are often comprised of singles, or work addicts, or dare I say- men. Shoots go until at least 7pm, often later. And they expect you arrive by 7 the next morning. To bring up to a head producer the idea of maternity or paid family leave isn’t even in the cards for most freelancers. No, your job with a good day rate might not be there if you step out for weeks or months- that’s just what we’ve all been conditioned to know in NYC. Being able to pay for a good nanny (who will want steady work) is another issue. You’re lucky as a woman to even be on a lot of those sets. I had literally just graduated from Columbia with my MFA in film, and it was the same week that I found out about getting a job at PBS producing, which would require a minimum of 60-hour work weeks and no health insurance for the first few months- then, I found out I was pregnant. What does a lady do when she needs immediate healthcare and money, and the two can’t go hand in hand? I ended up having to take a cash-paying nannying job and going on Medicaid immediately. I was too nervous about not getting a scan and tests in a timely manner in case there was any problem with the pregnancy. What was a Columbia MFA graduate doing as a nanny? It’s called the professional/work crisis in America- in which so many women (especially) find themselves making backbreaking sacrifices in order to “have it all.” For the ones who find themselves reproducing, not all work environments are too gentle on us. I have lots of other personal stories and those from friends that have made me so happy to finally read the news below. It is the first of many desperately-needed future steps in the right direction, especially for women.
“New York State Passes Bold Agenda for Working Families!”
On April 1st our New York State leaders passed a budget agreement including Paid Family Leave and a minimum wage increase for all New Yorkers!
“New York’s Paid Family Leave policy will be a game changer for women, who disproportionately bear the brunt of care-giving responsibilities,” said Sonia Ossorio, president of the National Organization for Women – New York. “Securing Paid Family Leave in this year’s state budget is a tremendous win for New York women and families. Individuals will now be able to take needed time from work to care for a new child or sick family member without risking their financial security. As the strongest policy in the nation with 12 weeks of paid leave, we hope this will serve as a model and catalyst for similar action across the country. We applaud Governor Cuomo for making this a top priority in our state.”
The Paid Family Leave program will protect workers’ jobs and health benefits and will allow up to 12-weeks of paid leave for workers to care for a new child (including adopted and foster children) or a seriously ill family member. New York’s policy will be the most robust in the nation, offering the longest benefit period.
The budget deal also includes a $15 statewide minimum wage increase that will be phased in over time. NOW New York President Sonia Ossorio said, “Raising the minimum wage will have an immediately positive and far-reaching impact on women’s economic status. Sixty percent of minimum wage workers across the state are women. The combined power of a higher minimum wage and job protections for family leave translate to critical advances for the women of New York.”
The National Organization for Women is the nation’s largest organization working to advance women’s rights and improve women’s lives. NOW New York aims to protect and promote reproductive justice, secure workplace equality, combat racism and homophobia, and end discrimination and violence against all women.
Rebecca Conroy is an artist, stylist, and Editor of A Child Grows in Brooklyn. She is from New York City, and has an MFA from Columbia University in screenwriting. Rebecca often finds herself on film and photography sets making things run or look better, and is the mom of two outrageously wonderful kids.