Vote YES on HB 737 (paid family and medical leave) and HB 1001 (collective bargaining for public sector workers). Both bills will improve working conditions for Virginians. Paid family and medical leave would allow to take care of themselves and their families without having to choose between care and a paycheck. Public sector collective bargaining gives workers the freedom to have a say in their workplace and will aid with worker retention and satisfaction, making Virginia's public institutions more effective. This bill specifically includes student workers, temp workers, home healthcare workers, and transportation workers, and those categories must be protected.

I strongly support the spirit of this legislation- paid family and medical leave is such an obvious policy choice that more than 120 countries already guarantee it to their citizens. It is long past time for the US to do the same, and state-based measures like HB 737 are an important step in the right direction. I do have some concerns over this bill’s cap on benefits at 80% of the average weekly wage. In many jurisdictions, this is far below a living wage - particularly for a family with a newborn. This may discourage people from taking advantage of paid medical and family leave. I recommend raising the cap to a more reasonable living wage or allowing for locality adjustments to reflect the cost of living in different parts of the commonwealth.

STATEMENT OF FRED CODDING IRON WORKERS EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION HOUSE LABOR AND COMMERCE - SUBCOMMITTEE #2 COMMITTEE JANUARY 25, 2024 I AM FRED CODDING OF 10382 MAIN STREET, FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA 22030. THIS STATEMENT IS SUBMITTED ON BEHALF OF THE IRON WORKERS EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION (IWEA). WE WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS CONSTRUCTION’S CONCERNS WITH HOUSE BILL 348 AND HOUSE BILL 737. THE IRON WORKERS EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION (IWEA) CONTRACTORS WORK THROUGHOUT VIRGINIA. ITS CONTRACTOR MEMBERS, WHICH INCLUDE MINORITY CONTRACTORS, WORK ON SMALL AND LARGE PROJECTS. MEMBERS OF THE IRON WORKERS EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION ITSELF SUPPLY AND INSTALL REINFORCING STEEL, STRUCTURAL STEEL, WINDOW WALL, CURTAINWALL AND RELATED PRODUCTS ON PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH. WE SHOULD POINT OUT THAT MANY OF OUR MEMBERS ARE SMALL BUSINESSES. OUR MEMBERS EMPLOY IRON WORKERS WHO ARE WORKING ON JOBS THROUGHOUT VIRGINIA AND NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS. THEY MAY BE ON A JOB HERE IN VIRGINIA, BUT TOMORROW MAY BE IN NORTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, WEST VIRGINIA, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, MARYLAND, PENNSYLVANIA OR DELAWARE. THEY TRAVEL EXTENSIVELY. IN ADDITION, THEY MOVE FROM ONE CONTRACTOR TO ANOTHER IN RELATIVELY SHORT PERIODS OF TIME. THIS IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE INDUSTRY. AS A RESULT, THEIR PAY LEVELS REFLECT MOBILITY. IN ADDITION, CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS FREQUENTLY PROVIDE COSTLY PENSIONS, HEALTH CARE, WORKERS COMPENSATION INSURANCE AND PREMIUM TIME ON A NUMBER OF HOLIDAYS AS WELL AS WEEKENDS. IN ADDITION, THEY PROVIDE DISABILITY INSURANCE. IN ADDITION TO THESE, OUR MEMBER CONTRACTORS ALSO CONTRIBUTE $1.55 PER IRON WORKER MANHOUR WORKED FOR CONTINUING TRAINING OF APPRENTICE AND UPGRADING PROGRAMS. THE BURDENS THE LEGISLATION PLACES ON CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS INCREASES THOSE THEY ALREADY BEAR. THE LEGISLATION SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASES RECORD-KEEPING REQUIREMENTS. NUMEROUS OTHER JURISDICTIONS HAVE RECOGNIZED THESE CONCERNS. IF A BILL PASSES, WE ASK THAT THE CONCERNS OF CONSTRUCTION BE ACCOMMODATED. WE REQUEST AN EXEMPTION FOR CONSTRUCTION. ABSENT A FULL EXEMPTION, WE REQUEST AN EXEMPTION FOR THOSE WITH COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS. AS NOTED, THIS HAS BEEN DONE IN MANY OTHER MAJOR JURISDICTIONS.

To whom it may concern, I maintained childhood residency in Virginia and grew up watching my Grandfather fight the VA, local VSO's and attorneys for the disability percentage he deserved in which he ultimately had to represent himself after a 9 year long battle. He was finally awarded the disability percentage he was ethically and morally eligible for. To this day he wishes there were third party companies who could have assisted him with consultations and guidance to achieve his deserved disability percentage far sooner than when it was actually awarded and that he states he would've accommodated such a service with modest payment of a successful claim. A bill such as this is disconcerting and should be considered as wrongfully prohibiting third party pre-claims filing consulting companies from assisting veterans like my Grandfather in their pursuit toward their deserved disability percentage. The continuance of allowing veterans the right to choose who assists them with their VA claims process maintains their constitutional rights and should be upheld. Thank you for your consideration.

Comments Document

(see attachment for further details) Thank you Chair Lopez and members of the Committee: My name is Awesta Sarkash and I am the Public Policy Director for Small Business Majority, a national small business organization that empowers America’s diverse entrepreneurs to build a thriving and equitable economy. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss HB 737, which would create a state-run paid family and medical leave program. We urge you to swiftly pass this legislation to support Virginia’s small businesses. Small Business Majority is a national small business organization that empowers America's diverse entrepreneurs to build a thriving and equitable economy. We engage our network of more than 85,000 small businesses and 1,500 business and community organizations to deliver resources to entrepreneurs and advocate for public policy solutions that promote inclusive small business growth. Our work is bolstered by extensive research and deep connections with the small business community that enable us to educate stakeholders about key issues impacting America’s entrepreneurs, with a special focus on the smallest businesses and those facing systemic inequities. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of accessing paid family and medical leave. Nationwide, we’re seeing other states passing measures to implement state-run paid family and medical leave programs. A modernized and robust benefits infrastructure would benefit small business owners and their employees, helping to level the playing field for small employers that can’t afford to provide paid family leave on their own. The proposed legislation would establish a paid family and medical leave insurance program in the Commonwealth, ensuring covered employees can take at least 12 weeks of paid time away from work when they need it. Implementing a paid family and medical leave program is a commonsense policy solution that small businesses can get behind. Virginia small businesses want to offer benefits to their employees because it helps them retain staff and compete with larger competitors. In fact, 66% of Virginia small business owners support establishing a state-run paid family and medical leave program. Passing HB 737 will bolster the Virginia small business ecosystem by providing them access to the benefits they need to attract a robust workforce. We urge you to vote yes on HB 737 to create a paid family and medical leave program in the Commonwealth to support the small business community.

HB385: there’s an importance and safety to having two man crews.. safety for the company and the public.