Peggy Young is suing UPS for losing her job because she was pregnant

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree voiced her support for Peggy Young, whose case against United Parcel Service (UPS) forpregnancy discrimination is being heard before the Supreme Court today.

“Pregnancy is a necessary fact of life. It shouldn’t be grounds for losing your job, which I think the law spells out pretty clearly,” said Pingree. “UPS should be held accountable for firing Peggy Young—and cutting off her benefits when her family needed them most—even though she offered to continue working with minimal accommodations. Even more than that, this is about making sure that the anti-discrimination protections women have are upheld. Clearly, they’re still needed.”

Young was a UPS driver when she became pregnant. After telling her employer that she could continue her route with few accommodations, Young was fired for the rest of her pregnancy because her doctor recommended that she not lift more than 20 pounds. She was not offered a light-duty alternative and lost all pay and benefits during that time. In the case, Young is suing UPS for a breach of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1976.

Pingree signed onto an amicus brief in support of Young.