NTEU Makes a Push for Paid Family Leave

NTEU members joined National President Tony Reardon in making a final push for paid family leave for federal employees before lawmakers consider the issue this week.

The Federal Employee Paid Leave Act would provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave for the arrival of a new child, care for a critically ill family member or a serious personal medical condition under the defense spending bill. The House added it to the 2020 defense authorization bill, which is in final negotiations this week with the Senate, where bipartisan support for the program has grown.

Hundreds of NTEU members shared their stories on how this program would have helped their families. Three of those members shared their accounts with reporters during a call with reporters on Thursday hosted by NTEU.

One NTEU member explained how she cares for her mother suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, while another had a difficult childbirth. A third member drove eight hours each way on weekends to be with father in a Veterans Affairs hospice. He passed away last week.

“Federal employees all over the country explained how paid family leave would have kept them out of debt, allowed them to see their loved ones before they passed, fully recover from childbirth and nurse a family member back to health," Reardon said. "Their voices are now being heard in the halls of Congress as we continue to urge lawmakers to pass the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act into law."

Also, NTEU joined a coalition in a letter to key lawmakers urging their support this important benefit.