Bread or roses? Trade unions, female employment and the expansion of work-family policies

Abstract

In the Fordist era, trade unions promoted welfare state expansion and coverage against risks for the broader workforce. With the shift to the post-industrial economy, however, new economic groups have been left without representation. This is particularly evident for women: despite a rapid increase in female employment since the 1980s, unions’ membership base remains anchored in the male, old and industrial working class. Without the crucial pressure of labour, welfare systems have failed to enhance the reconciliation of work and family life. Under which conditions do unions support the expansion of work-family policies? Marshalling evidence from 20 OECD countries in the 1980–2010 period, this paper investigates the role of political actors in family policy reform. Findings suggest that unions promote the expansion of work-family packages when they are gender-inclusive and have institutional access to policy-making.

Leveraging stories of cardiac amyloidosis patients of African ancestry or descent to support patient-derived data elements for efficient diagnosis and treatment

“…• Access to clinical, molecular diagnostic testing for TTR mutations, as lack of access to testing may hinder prior/ initial authorization for pharmacogenomic treatment for health-compromised patients with hATTR (Blue Cross Blue Shield, 2019; Cigna, 2023;UnitedHealthcare, 2023) A/AA/AC nursing professionals, who often spend time at the bedside learning patients' stories and experiences to document such information within electronic health records, and other health system stakeholders consider patient community stories as powerful resources to directly address health disparities through intentional data collection, use, and reporting (Hendricks-Sturrup, 2021;Evidation, n.d.). Moreover, A/AA/AC nursing professionals, in addition to caregivers of A/AA/ AC patients with AL and ATTR amyloidosis, are well-positioned to inform the development of both objective and subjective PROs (i.e., PROMIS ® , PRO-CTCAE, ATTR-QOL, interviews and focus groups) intended to capture the AL and ATTR A/AA/AC patient experience within the electronic health record.…”