PITTSBURGH — When Pittsburgh City Council passed the paid parental leave act last year, there was an assumption that all city workers would get six weeks of paid leave after having a child.
Now, many city union employees, including police officers, are realizing it doesn't apply to them, prompting one pregnant officer to file a grievance against the city.
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Paid parental leave is considered a benefit that is a mandatory subject of bargaining, meaning the police union must negotiate that in their contract. Since police officers have been working without a contract for more than a year, there is no paid parental leave option for them.
“The mayor was very supportive of paid parental leave, it’s something that this administration has instituted for non-union employees. The reason is because under the labor laws, the union employees are subject to collective bargaining and if that was a right that the FOP wanted, that was a right they should have bargained for as part of their contract,” Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto's Chief of Staff, Kevin Ackland said.
The only option officers currently have is to take their own vacation time or take unpaid time off under the Family Medical Leave Act.
In addition to the pregnant officer who filed a grievance, two other female officers are on unpaid maternity leave.
The Fraternal Order of Police told Channel 11 News Wednesday that they got a call from the city's law department, saying they're looking into the issue.
WPXI
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