Teacher strikes within the state have repeatedly spotlighted nonsalary issues such as paid parental leave. Owing to these strikes, unions in Beverly, Gloucester, and Marblehead secured new assurances for new parents, albeit not the 40 minimum paid days that were settled in Newton the prior winter. They also negotiated substantial wage increases for paraprofessionals, who are often paid below the state’s $15 minimum wage.

The state of Massachusetts requires provision of paid parental leave and a minimum wage for most workers, so it’s puzzling why teachers are left out of this mandate. Massachusetts entitles most workers to 26 weeks of paid time off since 2021, funded via a payroll tax and delivered by the state, covering around 60 to 80 percent of a person’s salary.

Massachusetts is one of a selection of states that have instituted paid parental leave for workers; federal law only mandates 12 weeks of unpaid leave.

The parental leave policy was part of a “grand bargain 2018 bill which raised minimum wage and eliminated time-and-a-half pay on Sundays. Teachers and other municipal workers, however, were deliberately omitted from this bill’s parental leave provision.

State law allows cities and towns to opt into the policy, but according to state representatives, none have opted in. While municipalities can vote to accept additional costs as part of the parental leave agreement, they can not be forced to pay new payroll taxes to fund the benefit due to legal restrictions on creating new costs for municipalities.

The Massachusetts Teachers Association has noted the issue, with its President calling it an “enormous inequity . Data from the association reveals that several of its local unions have negotiated standalone paid parental leave policies for an average of about 17 guaranteed days.

The Massachusetts state government and several Massachusetts-based companies provide paid family leave, which can be an essential piece of information for workers who are considering having children. It’s important for potential parents to understand their rights and what they are entitled to according to state law and their employer’s policies. If you are a worker in Massachusetts and want to learn more about paid family leave or have any questions about your benefits, visit eddcaller.com for accurate and complete information about how to contact the relevant authorities.