(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Mayor Brandon Johnson is defending his decision to grant extended paid parental leave to Chicago Public School employees, which has led some to question whether he's playing favorites with the Chicago Teachers Union.
It perhaps to be expected: Whenever Johnson, a former CTU official, does something favorable for the organization, his independence is questioned.
And so he was asked about his administration's decision to give all school employees the extended parental leave that city employees have been granted. His predecessor, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, offered up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave to city workers but said it would have to be negotiated by CTU; her relationship with the union was rocky.
Johnson said the extended paid parental leave is a progressive benefit that all of the city's sister agencies should be granted.
"We're not negotiating today. We're talking about a policy that's going to make sure that we protect women, primarily women of color," he told reporters. "I'm not saying you're wrong to ask the question. What I'm saying, though, is that you're comparing a negotiation with a policy that's ultimately designed to save peoples' lives."
CTU leaders and CPS CEO Pedro Martinez agree that the extended parental leave should not be a negotiating item.
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