During Friday’s general session, delegates watched a video highlighting several locals that successfully negotiated paid parental leave into their contracts. Emily James, United Federation of Teachers, opened the video with her personal story, describing how she exhausted her sick time after her first pregnancy and didn’t have enough left for her second, forcing her to take unpaid leave. She also detailed the key role she played in UFT’s campaign to secure paid parental leave, which they ultimately won in 2018.
James was joined by other local presidents from Long Island, the North Country and the Southern Tier who emphasized that paid parental leave is not only about the physical and mental health of parents and newborns, but also a matter of fairness. They noted that male members were often able to cash out larger payouts from unused sick time at retirement while female members, who were more likely to use that time to care for their children and families, were left at a disadvantage.