Karen Minatelli

Meeting of April 22, 2009 - on Best Practices To Avoid Discrimination Against Caregivers

Karen Minatelli is the Director of Work and Family Programs at the National Partnership for Women and Families. At the Partnership, she manages the National Partnership's broad work and family agenda, which includes campaigns to establish a minimum labor standard for paid sick days, provide paid family and medical leave for all workers, and expand and build on the foundation created by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Prior to joining the National Partnership, Karen spent five years at the D.C. Employment Justice Center (EJC), most recently as its Deputy Director and Director of Policy. At the EJC, she developed and oversaw the office's policy plan of action on legislative efforts to improve the wages, benefits, and working conditions for low-wage workers. She also coordinated the EJC's Program on Women's Employment Rights, representing clients in areas of employment law where women are predominantly affected, such as pregnancy discrimination and sexual harassment. While at the EJC, Karen led a coalition of organizations, unions, and individuals to successful passage of D.C.'s Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act -- the nation's second paid sick days law, and the first such law to include paid safe days for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Before joining the EJC in 2003, Karen was Legislative Director for Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez and Legislative Assistant/Counsel for Congresswoman Maxine Waters. She also worked as a staff attorney in the domestic violence unit at Ayuda, Inc., and spent two years as a fellow through the National Association for Public Interest Law (now Equal Justice Works) with the Camden Center for Law and Social Justice in Camden, NJ, providing family and immigration legal services to low-income individuals, most of whom were Spanish-speaking immigrants.