NC Commissioner of Labor Candidate Braxton Winston II’s Vision for a Breastfeeding Family Friendly State

NC Commissioner of Labor Candidate Braxton Winston II

Summary of Braxton’s Responses

Support the implementation of breastfeeding-friendly policies across communities in NC

There are two ways I will be able to support breastfeeding friendly policies as Commissioner of Labor:

  1. Making sure both employers and employees are aware of the PUMP act which was signed into law by President Biden. The NCDOL should have a communications campaign informing people of their rights. We must ensure that our compliance officers are trained to be able to enforce that law.
  2. As head of the NCDOL, I would be able to offer additional protections and accommodations so DOL employees can have the best accommodations of any other state office. Doing this can set the example for other departments to follow suit.

Addressing the growing maternal health crisis

At the foundation of our campaign is something I call the “whole worker approach”. While the compliance departments at the NCDOL must focus on the specific jurisdictions of labor laws as they are applied in work places, it is important that the Commissioner of Labor is advocated for laws and policies that support all of the needs of workers in order to build a strong workforce. In this instance, work doesn’t work if mothers don’t have access to high quality prenatal health care. As Commissioner of Labor I look forward to working with the NC Department of Health and Human Services, the NCGA, and community stakeholders to advocate for and enact policies to overcome the maternal health crisis in North Carolina.

Reduce the racial and economic disparities in access to healthcare and lactation support

Ensuring mothers are being treated fairly and have safe and healthy conditions in the workplace is certainly correlated to decreasing health disparities. North Carolina’s mothers who are in the workforce need better healthcare benefits and protection as well as competitive wages in order to access the services they need. I look forward to being a strong advocate for mothers and families as the next NC Commissioner of Labor. 

Prioritizing and taking action to make NC a breastfeeding family friendly state

The NCDOL can do more to protect nursing mothers who are in the workforce. This must be a stated priority of the department with assurances that staff will be trained to offer such services and to be able to recognize noncompliance. I look forward to working with stakeholders to do what is best for North Carolina mothers and families.

This blog article was written by the Breastfeed Durham Team, who is dedicated to promoting breastfeeding, cheastfeeding, and human milk feeding support and healthcare equity in Durham and beyond. Stay tuned for more updates on this important issue.