Juneteenth may become an official holiday for Town of Huntington workers.
Juneteenth is the celebration that arises from the fact that enslaved people in Texas were not told they were "free" for more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation took effect on Jan. 1, 1863. Since then June 19, when the news arrived, has been celebrated by Black people, and others, around the country to commemorate the day.
Town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci plans to offer a series of resolutions at the May 11 town board meeting to amend three employee contracts that would establish the new holiday and make it an official day off in 2022.
Juneteenth celebrates the fulfillment of President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, he said.
"It’s very important to recognize the emancipation of those who have been enslaved in the United States and be able to reflect upon the contributions that people made during that period of time and being able to recognize the significant progress we’ve made as a country since then," Lupinacci said.
The resolutions will call for collapsing Lincoln’s Birthday into the Juneteenth celebration to create one holiday celebrated June 19.
Lincoln will still be memorialized in February through the town’s Presidents Day holiday, Lupinacci said.
The town board must vote to amend the white- and blue-collar contracts and the blue-collar supervisory contract to establish the combined holiday.
Lupinacci said 90% of the town’s staff is unionized except for confidential secretaries, executive assistants and department heads.
All town employees would get Juneteenth off this year as a one-time bonus.
Last year after nationwide protests followed the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis, some municipalities, companies and institutions declared Juneteenth a holiday after politicians and civil rights leaders called for the date to be a federal holiday.
Juneteenth was declared a holiday for New York State employees in 2020.
Huntington's blue-collar resolutions will address two other matters.
The town board will vote to extend for a year both blue-collar contracts.
Amendments to the blue-collar contracts also would establish a one-time pandemic compensatory time program for eligible employees who did not work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lupinacci said.
Eligible employees would be able to get up to five paid days off for time worked between March 16 and June 8, 2020, based on a formula created by town officials. If the program is approved the time must be used by June 2022.
"At a time when the entire world was being told to stay home at the beginning and for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, certain essential town employees reported to work in-person to take on high-risk tasks necessary to ensure the safety of our community at a time of mass uncertainty," Lupinacci said.
The Link LonkMay 05, 2021 at 06:00PM
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Juneteenth may become holiday for Huntington Town workers - Newsday
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