Pennsylvania: Allegheny County Council Passes Paid Parental Leave Law 11-4: 12 Weeks, Covering Employers With 15 or More Workers
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania — The Allegheny County Council voted 11-4 on Oct. 30 to pass a paid parental leave law providing 12 weeks of paid leave to eligible new parents, applying to employers with 15 or more employees.
The measure was driven by nurses in the Pittsburgh area. On Mother's Day this year, nurses at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital launched the campaign, saying what they witness in the hospital shows how important this time is for new parents and babies. Over the following months, nurses and health care workers from Magee and Allegheny General Hospital joined community groups and families to canvass door to door, make hundreds of phone calls and present their case directly to the county council. Supporters say Allegheny County is the first county in the nation to guarantee paid parental leave through a law of this kind, and could become a model for other communities. UPMC Magee nurse Jean Stone said it was incredible that a movement started by Pittsburgh nurses had become law.
Now that the law has passed, advocates are considering whether to take similar efforts to other parts of Pennsylvania. The law's effective date and implementation details have not been disclosed in reporting, and how employers will apply for and account for the leave awaits further word from the county government.
Source: GSM·America
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：阿勒格尼县法院外景。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons（CC BY-SA 2.0），GSM固定图库。 / Photo: Allegheny County Courthouse, Pittsburgh, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0), GSM fixed library.
