Union getting involved due to employees complaining about pumping breaks. STRESSED OUT.
Hey yall. I just started a government gig about a month ago. I joined the union because I knew pumping can be targeted but the PUMP act basically made nursing mothers a protected class.
I pump three times a day: 8AM, 10:30AM, and 1:30PM. I am still in training so workflow is not affected yet. Training will continue for a couple more weeks and my baby is five months old so pumping will continue for another eighth months at the minimum.
I pump for twenty minutes but it takes me five minutes to get to the room since it’s far away. It takes me a couple of minutes to get the pumps on and get settled then after, it takes a few more minutes to get everything back in.
This adds up to about 35 minutes being gone per pump. My coworkers (mothers themselves but they formula fed once they got back to work) went to the boss who was hired last Monday and complained about my absence. He went to the union to discuss options.
I’m freaking out. I know I am entitled to whatever time I need to pump. I know I am entitled to a private space free of intrusion and I am not responsible for finding coverage for my workflow. I have taken work with me so I can complete it in a timely manner!!!! I am trying. The union rep told me she told my boss he can’t just reprimand me based on rumors. My baby is solely breastfed and drinks 16oz a day at daycare. It’s a lot of milk. I need to have multiple letdowns per session.
I’m not comfortable explaining the mechanics of my pump session to a man. I have a phobia of men that I’ve worked on my entire life but breastfeeding is something so intimate that any questioning is triggering and feels vaguely sexually inappropriate. I’m scared.