Petition to pass paid leave nationwide delivered to all members of Congress

By Dhanika Pineda

A petition to pass paid leave on a federal level in the United States was delivered to all members of Congress Wednesday morning.

With over 55,000 signatures, the petition is the result of a partnership between Paid Leave For All, a national campaign fighting to get paid family and medical leave for all working people, the women and mothers' advocacy group MomsRising, and Glamour Magazine.

The United States is one of seven countries globally that does not have any guaranteed form of paid leave, the petition states.

Addressed to President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the petition calls on lawmakers to commit to passing the country's first permanent paid leave program.

"This petition delivery is another marker of the force of people and organizing, from issues of reproductive freedom to paid leave. With this petition, Glamour wanted to make sure that the voices of our readers were heard -- and even more importantly listened to by lawmakers," said Natasha Pearlman, executive editor of Glamour.

Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images, FILE

In this March 15, 2022 file photo, Bethany Fauteux, a member of Paid Leave for All's Voices of Workers Advisory Group wears a t-shirt reading "Paid Leave for All" during an Equal Pay Day event on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Pearlman, now based in New York, had her first child in the United Kingdom, where paid maternity leave is both mandatory and built into government statutes. She had her second child in the U.S. where there are no federal mandates for all employers to provide any form of paid leave. She told ABC News the contrast of these experiences galvanized her to take action.

Organizers behind the petition told ABC News that they are calling on voters and legislators alike to prioritize paid leave on a federal level during the upcoming election.

The petition's delivery is part of a day of action on Wednesday to call attention to the lack of paid leave in the United States. Accompanying the petition is a digital campaign, #NoPaidLeaveCostMe, where participants on social media are sharing what the lack of paid leave in the U.S. cost them personally.

"I was lucky in that I had some paid leave. It was not enough," Dawn Huckelbridge, director of Paid Leave for All, told ABC News. "It cost me a lot in terms of my mental and emotional health, and my physical recovery. I lost time with my child. That's something you can never get back."

The day of action is set to continue Wednesday with a press conference and rally at the Hill and an evening event with lawmakers who champion the cause to pass paid leave.