With the ratification of their latest contract, the East Williston Teachers Association achieved a major step forward for members and their families, securing 20 days of paid parental leave for all new parents, regardless of tenure status.
“This provision reflects a shared vision between the union and administration, one centered on fairness, family, and the understanding that strong schools depend on educators who feel supported both personally and professionally,” said East Williston TA President Ron Roaldsen.
“It felt like a big success here on Long Island,” said Roaldsen. “It's been a national issue, but we don't always see the advancements that we'd like to see nationally. So, we were willing to take it on locally.”
Previously, only tenured teachers in East Williston had access to a 60-day medical leave bank for serious health events. The bank renewed annually and did not accumulate, leaving untenured teachers without comparable support and often relying on unpaid leave.
While adoptive parents received 20 days of paid leave, biological parents did not. Additionally, only mothers could use the medical leave bank after childbirth, creating unequal treatment among new parents. “A father could use 20 days for an adoption,” Roaldsen said, “but not when his own child was born.”
While East Williston is not the first district on Long Island to achieve some form of paid parental leave, Roaldsen said they are definitely hopeful to see it become more common.
“I approach it from a standpoint of fairness, really,” Roaldsen said. “Why are men less likely to have to take time? And why are women the only ones that are expected to come back from maternity leave and work the rest of the school year without any sick time?”
In the new contract, both tenured and untenured teachers have access to a leave bank. Tenured teachers start with a bank of 60 days, which can be used for any FMLA-qualifying event, as well as 12 sick days and four personal days per year. They can accumulate up to 180 additional days over the course of their career. Untenured teachers start with a bank of 10 days for FMLA-qualifying events, as well as 10 sick days and four personal days. On top of that, all new parents qualify for 20 days of parental leave or “bonding time” regardless of their tenure status.
The result is a fairer, more equitable contract that prioritizes families and recognizes the need for a healthy work-life balance, Roaldsen said.
The updated policy is expected to be a good recruiting tool for the district and resolves dilemmas administration had with the old structure of renewing sick leave annually, Roaldsen said.
“As we negotiated our contract, it was clear that both sides had a vested interest in it,” Roaldsen said. “Both sides saw that it could be a positive change for our community.”