Kathryn Luczak had saved up as much sick time as she could over the past nine years, but two unpaid maternity leaves during that time had left the Perry Professional Educators Association member with only 11 days she could use when she found out she was unexpectedly pregnant again with baby number three. A two-time fertility patient with her older children, Luczak said this third pregnancy was a beautiful gift, but completely unplanned.
“I was freaking out,” she recalled. “I was going to have to take unpaid time to stay home for the normal 8 weeks after another C-section and we were going to be hurting as a family of five with three kids under five.”
Luczak, a universal pre-K teacher at Perry Central School for 13 years, said she immediately looked at her contract and, to her surprise, found new language establishing 40 days of paid maternity leave from the district that is not to be deducted from accumulated sick leave.
“I chased our president, Rod, down the hall and cried and hugged him,” Luczak said.
“She told me you absolutely saved me,” said PPEA President Rodney Allen.
Allen, a physical education teacher, said this was an issue that had been discussed for years. “There’s so much stress on a young family and most mothers burn up all their sick days, especially moms having second and third babies or who have C-sections – they just don’t have any days left.”
Luczak added that running out of sick time is a significant problem particularly for mothers who work in education and are primary caregivers at home. “With the job I have, I bring home sicknesses to my kids. Being a UPK teacher, I get sneezed on daily, so my kids don’t even have a chance.”
Fortunately, Allen said paid maternity leave was important to both sides during negotiations and was agreed to easily without any concessions. He gave credit to a supportive superintendent who Allen said respects the role of unions in the school system. In a Facebook post, Superintendent Daryl McLaughlin wrote, “When we take care of our people, that care is extended to our students and their educational experiences.”
With the help of their NYSUT labor relations specialist, PPEA was also able to win paid time for current members who have previously had children during their employment in the Perry CSD. Under the contract, they will be awarded 20 sick days per occurrence to be credited upon their retirement.
“That was really important to me,” Allen said. “I didn’t want them to feel forgotten.”
The contract does stipulate that after completing their leave, members must remain employed for three full school years or be required to pay the district back. But Allen said the benefit is already having a significant impact even in other nearby districts where NYSUT locals are working to get similar language. Allen said, “People are asking me about it all the time. We’re looking to see what we can get for paternity leave next.”
Now back at work after delivering her baby Shae Austin last October, Luczak said she’s grateful to have had the time at home to enjoy her newborn without worrying about a paycheck, and she hopes more districts around the state begin offering the same opportunity to parents.
“It’s about time. We take care of kids for a living and we love it, yet so many of us don’t get the time to take care of our own.”