In spite of the “family values” paean of the Right our society has always been hostile to working parents. Whether in the public and private sector employers have battled every step of the way: fighting granting working parents maternity and child care benefits.
After years of effort the AFL-CIO finally passed the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) – a law that gives limited rights to parents. In comparison to the rights of European working parents our laws are archaic.
In the 20’s a teacher who became pregnant was fired.
Even today parents who take child care leaves are penalized – in salary, in salary steps and in pensions.
A teacher who begins to teach right out of college and bears two children and takes two full child care leaves (four years each) misses eight years of salary, salary steps as well as pension credit. A colleague who did not take child care leaves will reach age 55 with 34 years of service and is eligible to retire.
The teacher who took two full child care leaves reaches age 55 with 26 years of service. Under the current law they can not retire with full benefits until they reach 30 years of service – and in the instant case age 59.
The newly negotiated pension agreement will give the teacher referenced above the right to retire at age 55 – with 26 years of service.
It is an enormous step in the ongoing battle for parental rights.
In an age when two-salary families are the standard parents have to trade off salary versus the care of their children.
The 25/55 pension benefit is a major step in the fight for rights for working parents represented by the United Federation of Teachers.
1 response so far ↓
55/25 And Voluntary School-Wide Bonuses: Reaction | Edwize // October 19, 2007 at 10:55 pm |
[...] over at Ed in the Apple: The teacher who took two full child care leaves reaches age 55 with 26 years of service. Under the [...]