New mothers who are members of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) can now receive maternity benefits.
The impact isn’t as significant in states like Oregon and Washington that offer paid parental leave, since members can’t double up on benefits. But the Laborers’ new policy went into effect Jan. 1 and offers up to $800 per week for at least six weeks after giving birth. Benefits can extend to eight weeks if the mother had medical complications like giving birth by cesarean section.
Pregnant women can also get benefits up to six weeks before giving birth if their doctor says they can’t safely work as a laborer because of their pregnancy — unless the employer can accommodate the pregnancy, like through providing light duty work.
The $800 weekly benefit is offset by any benefits received from a government-managed maternity leave program. Oregon and Washington’s paid leave programs calculate weekly benefits based on the person’s past income. A LiUNA member who has been working full-time would typically get more than $800 per week through the state programs, so they wouldn’t receive any additional money through the LiUNA program.
To be eligible for maternity benefits under the Laborer’s program, a new mother must have been a LiUNA member in good standing for at least a year, be employed as a laborer, and be eligible for benefits through her union local or district council.
To get benefits, members submit an online application at liuna.org/maternitydisability. For the first year of the new program, the international union, rather than each local, is paying the costs.
At Local 737, which covers all of Oregon, women account for fewer than one out of every five members. LiUNA spokeswoman Lisa Martin said part of the goal for the maternity leave program is to attract more women to join the Laborers.
