Educators from 11 school districts along North Shore have coordinated demonstrations over a week to create awareness for the demand of paid family leave. The demonstrations included pre-school rallies and “walk-ins organized by educator unions in Beverly, Gloucester, Revere, Ipswich, Hamilton-Wenham, Masconomet Regional, Danvers, Salem, Marblehead, Georgetown, and Chelsea. All of these unions are currently involved in negotiations as their contracts are due to expire by the end of the year.

The current policy in the districts does not provide educators with paid parental leave. Instead, teachers are permitted to use personal or sick leave for childbirth and childcare. The Revere Teachers Association has requested 12 weeks of paid parental leave, reflecting the state policy. The Massachusetts Paid Family Medical Leave policy provides 26 weeks of leave for qualifying family and medical emergencies and includes 12 weeks of paid parental leave but excludes teachers and other public sector municipal employees.

Several educators talked about personal experiences of having to utilize sick leave for child bonding, remaining unpaid after childbirth, and faced challenging choices between caring for their physical well-being and family or their students. They further argued that adopting paid family leave policies could prove beneficial by addressing teacher shortages and operational issues in the district.

The push for paid family leave follows a series of high-profile contract negotiations and teacher strikes, including in Newton, Andover, Haverhill, Woburn, and Brookline. Agreements have been reached in some of these areas, with Newton educators winning up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave. As the unions prepare for upcoming School Committee meetings in May, they are urging community members to attend and voice their concerns on the issue.

If you are an educator and need to understand your rights to Paid Family Leave (PFL) or need tips on how to get a hold of PFL, you might find it helpful to visit eddcaller.com. This website offers valuable resources to provide guidance on how to get through to edd customer service, ensuring your queries regarding paid family leave, and related concerns are addressed effectively.