What is International Women's Day?
Channel: zozo karim
Date: 2017-03-07

Here's why some women are wearing red to work -- or not working at all -- on Wednesday

If You’re Planning to Strike for Women’s Day, Here Are Your Legal Rights

Pink, cat-eared hats were the statement piece of choice when thousands gathered at the nation's capital in January for the Women's March on Washington D.C. Organizers of the march are now asking women nationwide to wear red on Wednesday (March 8) and take steps to highlight the role women play in the U.S. economy, from skipping work to refusing to shop anywhere but women- and minority-owned businesses.

The demonstration -- dubbed "A Day Without a Woman" -- falls on International Women's Day and follows in the steps of similar all-women walkouts around the world as well as "A Day Without Immigrants," a boycott and strike started in 2006 and revived in mid-February to highlight the economic contributions of immigrants to the U.S. economy and culture.

Here is what you need to know about "A Day Without a Woman."

What is International Women's Day?

Also known as International Working Women's Day, the day -- celebrated March 8 -- observes the economic, political and social achievements of women worldwide. The earliest Women's Day was observed Feb. 28, 1909 in New York. Women marched the streets demanding equal pay and voting rights in remembrance of a 1908 strike of female textile workers.

The March 8 date harkens back to March 8, 1917 when female textile workers in Russia flooded the capital of Petrograd to demonstrate, helping spark the Russian Revolution. The date was later declared a holiday in Soviet Russia and was adopted by the United Nations in 1977.

Why "A Day Without a Woman"?

After the large turnouts at the Women's March on Washington and sister marches in cities nationwide, many wondered if the momentum would continue or fizzle out. Organizers have called on supporters to write lawmakers and stay politically engaged.

"A Day Without a Woman" is part of that effort, with a goal to "highlight the economic power and significance that women have in the U.S. and global economies, while calling attention to the economic injustices women and gender nonconforming people continue to face," according to the Women's March website.

Of course, you don’t have to worry about any of this if you use a preapproved vacation day or a personal day to strike, even though doing so isn’t “striking” in the traditional sense.

If you are entitled to time off and use a vacation day or a personal day to strike, you’re protected if you work for a public employer — even if that employer doesn’t approve of the strike. That’s because public employees (people like teachers, MTA workers, and police officers who are paid with taxpayer money) are guaranteed First Amendment protections. As Thomas puts it, “when a government employer steps on your speech outside of the office, that is a First Amendment violation.”

You’re also pretty safe if you use a vacation day or a personal day and you work for a private employer (basically any company that’s not publicly funded). Although private at-will employees don’t have First Amendment protection, in most cases they’re shielded by the NLRA. “Under those circumstances, the employer has no business disciplining you for off-duty conduct that involves political activity,” Tuminaro said. “Who’s to say that everyone wouldn’t want to spend their vacation on a picket line?” She added that if an employee uses a sick day to strike instead, and if their employer requires a doctor’s note or other documentation, that could be a “closer call,” depending on the employer’s workplace policies.

Unionized workers are, of course, the exception — union contracts may stipulate that an employer can’t fire you without warning, or for things like expressing political opinions. If your boss violates that contract, there’s definitely grounds for legal action, Thomas said.