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NYC Approves 6-Week Paid Parental Leave For Non-Union City Workers

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York City's non-union employees will soon have six weeks of paid parental leave.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday that he will sign an executive order next month adding the benefit.

The issue is personal for de Blasio, who said his wife was forced to return to work shortly after the birth of their daughter, WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported. In January, 20,000 managers and non-unionized city workers will be eligible for six weeks paid parental leave at 100 percent of their salary.

"When parents have a chance to be with their children in those formative weeks and months, they're gonna be better, happier, more productive parents," Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen told 1010 WINS' Al Jones.

Donna Dolan, Director of New York's Paid Leave Coalition, said the decision is a game-changer. 

"Finally, there will be parents in New York City that won't have to worry about financial insecurity if they try to take time off to spend time with a newborn," Dolan said.

The change doesn't affect the city's 300,000 unionized workers. But officials say the benefit can be added to those contracts via collective bargaining.

To cover the $15 million cost, the non-union employees will give back two vacation days and the city will rescind a small portion of a planned 2017 raise. 

De Blasio says the change brings New York in line with cities like Pittsburgh and Austin, Texas.

"We have an opportunity to show the nation that we can have thoughtful, progressive policies around families," Glen said.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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