Professional Staff Congress Hopes For Paid Maternity Leave
Herman Araya
Issue date: 10/17/07 Section: News
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Assistant professor Karen Strassler was "excited," yet still with "hesitation," to teach anthropology at Queens College. In her first semester in 2005 she was five months pregnant with only four days of sick leave in a university that has no paid family leave plan.
"I essentially was forced with a set of very unfair choices," Strassler said. She taught for that first semester and though it was an "easy, uncomplicated pregnancy," it was "tiring" and she was afraid of going into labor on the last day of classes. Her child, Leo, was born at the end of December 2005. He is now 21 months old.
Department chairs typically try to find ways to provide relief for pregnant professors, and the anthropology department was helpful toward her; but after the first semester she took unpaid leave - an option she considered to be "appalling" and "outrageous."
Professor Strassler is one of several people who gave a statement during a session in which the Professional Staff Congress (PSC), the labor union for the faculty and staff working under CUNY, presented its demands to CUNY. The PSC's contract with CUNY expired on Sept. 19.
'Basic Human Right'
In an interview, Barbara Bowen, a QC English professor and president of the PSC, said that most major universities do offer paid maternity leave. When asked why CUNY has gone so long without a paid plan, Bowen gave several reasons. One is that CUNY hasn't had the political will to change this policy. During the 1990s there was very little hiring of young full-time faculty. This issue is now becoming more critical due to higher demand for young faculty, Bowen said.
Another reason for the lack of paid maternity leave plan is that CUNY is "chronically under-funded," Bowen said. CUNY, which is funded both by the city and state, has not accepted a paid family leave plan due to a lack of money to fund such a program. Research shows that women are still disproportionately affected by the lack of parental leave, Bowen said.
"I essentially was forced with a set of very unfair choices," Strassler said. She taught for that first semester and though it was an "easy, uncomplicated pregnancy," it was "tiring" and she was afraid of going into labor on the last day of classes. Her child, Leo, was born at the end of December 2005. He is now 21 months old.
Department chairs typically try to find ways to provide relief for pregnant professors, and the anthropology department was helpful toward her; but after the first semester she took unpaid leave - an option she considered to be "appalling" and "outrageous."
Professor Strassler is one of several people who gave a statement during a session in which the Professional Staff Congress (PSC), the labor union for the faculty and staff working under CUNY, presented its demands to CUNY. The PSC's contract with CUNY expired on Sept. 19.
'Basic Human Right'
In an interview, Barbara Bowen, a QC English professor and president of the PSC, said that most major universities do offer paid maternity leave. When asked why CUNY has gone so long without a paid plan, Bowen gave several reasons. One is that CUNY hasn't had the political will to change this policy. During the 1990s there was very little hiring of young full-time faculty. This issue is now becoming more critical due to higher demand for young faculty, Bowen said.
Another reason for the lack of paid maternity leave plan is that CUNY is "chronically under-funded," Bowen said. CUNY, which is funded both by the city and state, has not accepted a paid family leave plan due to a lack of money to fund such a program. Research shows that women are still disproportionately affected by the lack of parental leave, Bowen said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Javier Perez
posted 10/25/07 @ 1:55 PM EST
Hi
I love and respect your idealism and I happen to agree that paid, even extended maternity leave is a basic human right. I'd go even further and say anyone who stands in the way of it is a criminal deserving of severe punishment. (Continued…)
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