* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] OKAY. LET'S GET, OKAY, LET'S GET, LET'S GET EVERYBODY READY. IS EVERYBODY READY? OKAY, LET'S GET STARTED. UM, PLEASED TO HAVE, OF COURSE, ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE STANDING, UH, STANDING, UH, WITH ME. JANE CHEEKS, DIRECTOR OF OF HUMAN RESOURCE, UH, IS HERE. I KNOW BETH MET FISH, WHO IS, UH, THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE WOMEN'S COMMISSION IS PRESIDENT BETH. THERE SHE IS, BACK THERE. THANK YOU. AND THEN ASA CABALLERO, WHO IS, UH, THE PRESIDENT OF, UH, SEIU. I'M HERE. OH, AS SHE IS. AND THEN WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES OF HOPE, UH, WHO ARE HERE, LABOR GROUPS. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING PRESIDENT WHO REPRESENT THE MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES. AND BEFORE I EVEN GET STARTED, UH, MARTY, IF YOU'LL BRING MM-HMM . AND LET ME, LET ME SIGN. I TELL YOU WHAT, I'LL SIGN IT RIGHT HERE. HOLD ON. THIS IS THE PARENTAL LEAVE ORDINANCE THAT I'M GOING TO SIGN. CAN, YEAH, OF COURSE, SIR. IT NOW GOES INTO EFFECT AND I'M SO PLEASED WITH THE UNANIMOUS VOTE OF 17, UH, TO ZERO TODAY. SO UNANIMOUS VOTE BY BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, WHICH IS A PROUD DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, THIS IS A GREAT DAY IN THE HISTORIC DAY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND IT'S 22,000 EMPLOYEES. TODAY'S VOTE APPROVING PAID PARENTAL LEAVE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, IS MAKING THIS REALLY ITS HISTORY FOR THE CITY. IT MEANS THAT OUR EMPLOYEES, MOTHERS, AND DADS NO LONGER MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR JOB AND THEIR CHILDREN, OR QUITE FRANKLY, UTILIZING ALL THEIR VACATION TIME AND OTHER LEAVE TIME IN ORDER TO GET TIME, UH, WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR KID. BY OFFERING PAID PRENATAL, PARENTAL, AND INFANT WELLNESS LEAVES THE CITY OF HOUSTON WILL BE ABLE TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN, UH, TOP TALENT WHILE SUPPORTING FAMILIES AND CHILDREN. PAID PARENTAL LEAVE WILL BE EFFECTIVE MAY 14TH, 2022. SO THAT'S MAY 14TH. IT GOES INTO EFFECT IF THE EMPLOYEE MEETS ELIGIBILITY. CURRENTLY, EMPLOYEES MUST RELY ON SAFE VACATION TIME OR UNPAID LEAVE AFTER THE BIRTH OR ADOPTION OF A CHILD. THE NEW POLICY COVERS ANY FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES. UH, PART-TIME. OF COURSE, THE TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE, BUT ANY FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE WHO HAS BEEN EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE FOR AT LEAST SIX CONTINUOUS CONTIGUOUS MONTHS PRIOR TO THE INITIAL USE OF THE PAID LEAVES FOR PRENATAL, PARENTAL, AND OR INFANT WELLNESS. THIS POLICY WILL APPLY EQUALLY TO ANY PARENT REGARDLESS OF GENDER. AND THIS POLICY IS APPLICABLE WITH RESPECT TO COUPLES, WHETHER MALE, FEMALE, OR L-G-B-T-Q. I WANT TO THANK OF ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAME AND I KNOW TOOK SPECIAL, UH, LEAD ON THIS. UH, I WANT TO THANK EACH ONE. I MEAN, WE'VE GOT A HISTORIC 10 WOMEN . WELL, I GUESS IT'S ONLY FITTING A MAJORITY OF WOMEN ON CITY COUNCIL. UM, BUT I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE MEN ON CITY COUNCIL. UM, I WANT TO THANK THEM, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM DAVE MARTIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEAD, ALL OF THE MEN. 'CAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, WE RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES, MALE AND FEMALE, CONCERNING BENEFIT FROM WHAT WE DID TODAY. UH, THEY HAVE BEEN SO, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY INVOLVED IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN. I CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK, UM, WE STARTED THE WOMEN'S COMMISSION. THAT WAS THE C THE, UM, UH, PUSHED AND BROUGHT INTO EXISTENCE BECAUSE OF CO COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAMAN. SO LET ME THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEAD. AND THEN OF COURSE, MS. MURPHY, LET ME THANK YOU. AND ALL OF THE WOMEN ON THE COMMISSION THEMSELVES, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY INVOLVED. I DO WANT TO GIVE SPECIAL THANKS TO, TO MY OWN CHIEF OF STAFF MARETTE HANA, UH, BECAUSE SHE'S THE ONE WHO SAID, MAYOR, WE NEED TO DO THIS. WE HAVEN'T DONE IT. WE NEED TO DO THIS. AND THIS WOULD JUST BE A MAJOR INITIATIVE, UH, FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. AND I WANT TO GIVE SPECIAL THANKS TO JANE CHEEKS AND HR. THANKS, JANE. NOW THIS WILL, THIS WILL BE, GO DOWN AS, UH, ONE OF YOUR LEGACY ITEMS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SINCE 2019. AND, AND, UH, AND OUR DIRECTION, HUMAN RESOURCES, FINANCE, ADMINISTRATION, AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS, TAN EMO, I HAVE TO MENTION HER AS FINANCE AS THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, UH, WHO HAD, UH, BABY NOT TOO LONG AGO, TAN ANDREW WORKED UP UNTIL THE DAY, UH, THAT HER BABY WAS, UH, DELIVERED. AND OF COURSE, I WANNA THANK, UH, TORO MICHELLE, THE QUIET ONE, UH, OVER THERE AND, AND LEGAL, UH, FOR, FOR THEIR WORK ON THIS POLICY. THEY REVIEWED OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, PUBLIC SECTOR AND PRIVATE POLICIES, INCLUDING OUR LOCAL COMPETITOR FOR [00:05:01] TALENT, HARRIS COUNTY. UM, AND BASED ON THEIR REVIEW AND THE FINANCIAL ANALYSIS, THE ORDINANCE WAS PROPOSED TO THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION FOR CONSIDERATION. AND ON A PERSONAL NOTE, UH, AND AS A FATHER, I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF BONDING WITH A NEWBORN CHILD. UH, AND THEN I'VE BEEN TOUCHED BY THE MANY STORIES OF OUR OWN CITY EMPLOYEES. I THINK THEY WERE THE MOST PERSUASIVE OF ALL ON WHY WE NEED TO BE DOING THIS. SO, UM, ON THAT NOTE, LET ME FIRST SHIELD TO, UH, TO BETH MUR FISH, UH, AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE OF THE WOMEN'S COMMISSION. BETH, THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER. AND THANK YOU CITY COUNCIL FOR THIS HISTORIC VOTE THAT WILL MAKE SUCH A DIFFERENCE FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT WHAT IS, UM, THIS POLICY IS GOOD FOR THE CITY, IT'S GOOD FOR PARENTS AND IT'S GOOD FOR CHILDREN. AND WHAT WE ALSO KNOW IS THAT WHAT IS GOOD FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS GOOD FOR ALL EMPLOYEES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, AND THE WOMEN'S COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO REACH OUT TO PRIVATE EMPLOYERS, UM, AND ASK THEM TO MEET THE CITY'S, UH, EXAMPLE HERE. AND WE WOULD CHALLENGE OTHER EMPLOYERS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO MAKE THE SAME KIND OF INVESTMENT IN THEIR WORKFORCES AND IN THE CHILDREN OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, THAT THE CITY HAS TODAY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. AND LEMME CALL ON A REPRESENTATIVE FROM HOPE, NAME. AND MY NAME IS SONYA RICO, AND I'M VICE PRESIDENT FOR HOPE LOCAL 1, 2, 3. WE JUST WANNA THANK THE MAYOR AND JANE CHEEKS. I CAME IN FOR THIS COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEES AND OUR OWN MEMBER, UH, MS. REGO WHO SERVED ON THE WOMEN'S COMMISSION. THIS IS GONNA BE AN AWESOME THING FOR ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES. THANK YOU. AND, UH, EL RO. OH, SORRY. UM, I'M GONNA DO, MINES IN SPANISH, IF YOU DON'T MIND. I WAS GONNA DO THAT, BUT YOU GO NOW. , THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, BECAME MAD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND AGAIN, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, YOU WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT YOU, YOUR ADMINISTRATION. UM, AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL. UH, THIS IS, WE ARE HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF THE WORK OF SO MANY OTHERS. AND DIRECTOR CHEEKS, MAN, DID YOU TAKE A LOT OF MY CALLS? , THANK YOU. THANKS TO ELISE AND YOUR ENTIRE TEAM FOR EVERYTHING YOU DID TO BRING THIS FORWARD. I THINK WHAT TODAY MEANS IS THAT WE CAN BE PREGNANT, WE CAN BE MOMS, AND WE CAN DO ANYTHING. AND WE HAVE RIGHTS AND NEEDS, AND WE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID TO SEEK ACCOMMODATION. THERE'S A STIGMA THAT FOR FAR TOO LONG HAS BEEN ACCEPTED, AND WE DON'T TALK ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT THE STRUGGLES ARE WHEN WE ARE PREGNANT AND EVEN POSTPARTUM. AND EVERY SINGLE WOMAN UP HERE KNOWS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW. AND ALSO TO THE FATHERS WHO HAVE WISHED THAT THEY COULD HELP SHOULDER SOME OF THAT BURDEN, BUT DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO A PLAN LIKE THIS. SO, AGAIN, AS THE MAYOR SAID, THIS IS FOR EVERYBODY. UH, I, WE SAY WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT. SO I'LL JUST SHARE REALLY QUICKLY. I HAD DEBILITATING MORNING SICKNESS AND FOLLOWING BIRTH, I HAD, UH, SEVERE POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION. BUT IT WAS THE STORIES THAT I HEARD IN SPEAKING TO OTHER EMPLOYEES THAT CAME FORWARD TO SHARE THEIR OWN STORIES THAT INSPIRED US. AND THERE'S SO MUCH THAT HAS GONE INTO TODAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, THANK YOU FOR BEING THAT CONSTANT VOICE FOR YEARS AND YEARS ON THIS TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON, TO THE GRANDFATHERS WHO ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR GRANDCHILDREN, FATHERS WHO HAVE RAISED SINGLE, UH, INDEPENDENT WOMEN OF THEIR OWN. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I DON'T LEAVE ANYONE OUT IN MY GRATITUDE AND THANKS, UH, DIRECTOR EMO, CHIEF HUNTER, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, ESPECIALLY THE DRES, AS I LIKE TO CALL THEM, UH, THE WOMEN'S COMMISSION FOR KEEPING THIS AT THE FOREFRONT AND KEEPING THIS GOING INTO ALL OF OUR LABOR ADVOCATES. EVERY SINGLE CITY EMPLOYEE SERVES HOUSTON WITH DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE. AND TODAY, A UNANIMOUS VOTE SEALED THE DEAL TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE [00:10:01] PERSON KNOWS THAT THEY MATTER AND THEIR FAMILIES MATTER. WITH THAT, I'LL, I'LL YIELD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR PRO, DAVE MARTIN. YES, SIR. . I PROMISE I WON'T MAKE ANOTHER PASS, . SO, BUT ANYWAY, IT'S, UM, IT'S A GREAT DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. IT'S, IT'S, WE SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS MANY YEARS AGO, BUT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT AND MAKING SURE, I GUESS IT TOOK A GROUP OF LADIES THAT WE WORK WITH EVERY DAY TO PUSH US FROM THE FIVE YARD LINE ACROSS THE GOALPOST. AND, UH, MY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU LADIES THAT, UH, TAUGHT US THE RIGHT THING TO DO. YOU TAUGHT US ABOUT WHAT IT IS TO FEEL LIKE A MOM THAT'S GONE THROUGH POSTPARTUM. A MOM THAT GOES THROUGH CESAREAN SECTIONS AND CAN'T HOLD HER BABY NORMALLY. SO THANK YOU FOR SHEDDING THE LIGHT ON FOLKS LIKE DAVID ROBINSON AND MYSELF AND KOSH AND DOCS AND ALL THE HARDHEADED. UH, YOU'RE NOT A HARDHEADED GUY THOUGH. YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY, BUT SOMETIMES WE NEED A LITTLE BIT OF PUSH. AND THANK YOU LADIES FOR PUSHING US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION BECAUSE THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. THANK YOU. AND FINALLY, VICE MAYOR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THIS IS EXCITING. AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY THIS IS YET ANOTHER REASON WOMEN SHOULD BE IN ALL SPACES WHERE DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE. I SAID IT IN OUR COMMITTEE MEETING AND EARLIER TODAY, BUT WHEN WE TAKE CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR EMPLOYEES WILL WORK ALONGSIDE ALL OF US TO MAKE SURE WE ARE TAKING CARE OF HOUSTONIANS. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS GREAT POLICY, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO DOING MORE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND EVERYONE HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU. AND THEN JANE, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THE LAST WORD. YAY. JAMES . EXCUSE ME. THANK YOU. AND, UH, IF I MAY, JUST TO POINT A PERSONAL PRIVILEGE, I KNOW I'M HR DIRECTOR, BUT THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE AND WE NEED TO REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT. UM, FIRST, THIS IS THE HAPPIEST NOBODY, NOBODY KNOWS HOW I FEEL RIGHT NOW. I AM A 22 YEAR, UH, EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND I KNOW FIRSTHAND WHAT THIS MEANS TO OUR EMPLOYEES. I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT I KNOW FIRSTHAND. MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITH IN ME AND MY TEAM. UM, WE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE. AND I CAN'T SAY I COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN BET EVERYONE, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA MISS ANYONE, BUT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE. I REALLY HAVE TO THANK THE PEOPLE WHO WERE UP HERE WITH ME LATE AT NIGHT. I WANT TO, I WANT TO THANK ELISA FRANKLIN, BROCK, MY CHIEF OF STAFF. I WANNA THANK DIETRA SULLIVAN DIETRA. PENNY LEGAL WAS, WAS THERE WITH US ALL THE WAY. AND I HAVE TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES BECAUSE WE GOT THIS DONE, BUT WE STILL HAVE SOME THINGS WE NEED TO DO. SO, DIRECTOR EMO, DIRECTOR KENT, DIRECTOR PAEZ, WE HAVE TO GET THIS DONE. AP OUR AP, WHICH WE'RE GONNA CALL PPI PARENTAL, UH, PRENATAL INFANT WELLNESS IS GOING TO BE ACTIVE ON MAY 14TH. WE'LL BE READY. WELL, WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA GET APPLICATIONS RIGHT AWAY, , WE ARE PREPARED. AND I JUST, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH, ESPECIALLY TO EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER TODAY WHO MADE THIS HISTORICAL MOMENT HAPPEN HERE IN THE CITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND LEMME JUST SAY, LET ME, UH, LET ME STRONGLY ENCOURAGE, UM, UM, HOUSTON FIRST AND OUR OTHER CITY COMPONENTS, UH, TO IMMEDIATELY DO THE SAME MM-HMM . SO THAT THEY'RE ALL CON CONSISTENT, THEY'RE ALL CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY POLICY, AND WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, UH, FOR ALL OF OUR, UH, EMPLOYEES. HAVING SAID THAT, UH, WE'LL PAUSE AND THEY CAN, ANY QUESTIONS TO ANY OF THESE PERSONS? YES, SIR. TO YOU EL MENTIONED AND YOU UNDERSTOOD PERFECTLY. DO YOU THINK THIS WILL HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT ON THE PRIVATE SECTOR? YEAH. DO YOU WANT ME TO RESPOND IN ENGLISH OR IN SPANISH? UH, YOU CAN DO IT IN SPANISH WILL BE PERFECT. AND SPANISH ANSWER IS, IS C, AND IN ENGLISH IS YES. UH, AND, AND LOOK JUST LIKE THAT. UH, I'M SAYING THAT, UH, WE WILL EXPAND TO HOUSTON FIRST AND OUR OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. QUITE FRANKLY, IT, IT JUST SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR AS WELL. UM, IT'S NOT JUST, IT'S JUST GOOD FOR CITY EMPLOYEES, [00:15:01] IT'S GOOD FOR EMPLOYEES, PERIOD, WHETHER YOU'RE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, THE PRIVATE SECTOR, OR NONPROFITS. SO MY ANSWER IS YES, I HOPE IT WILL. GOOD QUESTION. MAYOR, YOU TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE NEED AND MANY PEOPLE UP HERE HAVE ABOUT TO, TO RETAIN AND, AND ATTRACT THE BEST EMPLOYEES WITH A POLICY LIKE THIS. CAN YOU JUST SHARE MAYBE A STORY OR TWO ABOUT JUST HOW DIFFICULT IT'S BEEN TO DO THAT WITHOUT THIS KIND OF A POLICY? WELL, I, I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, UH, EMPLOYEES WILL GO TO WHERE THERE'S AN ENVIRONMENT AND POLICIES THAT BEST FIT THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES. MM-HMM . AND WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE IT AND OTHERS ARE OFFERING IT, AND IN A VERY TIGHT LABOR MARKET, WHICH THIS IS, THEN EMPLOYEES WILL GO TO WHERE THOSE POLICIES ARE. UH, AND IT'S ALL IN THE END, IT'S ALL ABOUT FAMILY AND QUALITY OF LIFE. MM-HMM . UH, AND AN ENVIRONMENT, UH, THAT'S POSITIVE FOR THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES. UM, AND IT'S OFTENTIMES IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE PAY. OKAY. SO, UM, UH, BUT THIS, WE'RE IN A VERY TIGHT LABOR MARKET. UH, AND YOU CAN GO TO HARRIS COUNTY AND THEY HAVE THIS POLICY IN PLACE. OKAY. UH, OR THERE MAY BE OTHER COMPANIES THAT MAY BE OFFERING IT, UH, BUT THE REALITY IS, IS THAT THIS IS JUST THE RIGHT THING TO DO. IT'S JUST THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE DOING IT. SO IF ANYBODY WANTS TO ADD TO THAT, YOU'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO, TO BE RESPONSIVE TO IT. THAT'S CORRECT. TO HIS QUESTION. YES, SIR. OKAY. I, I DID WANNA HIGHLIGHT MAYOR. UM, ONE OF THE INNOVATIVE THINGS ABOUT WHAT WE JUST ENACTED IS NOT ONLY THE PARENTAL LEAVE PORTION, WHICH IS STANDARD, BUT, UM, HR AND THE MAYOR CRAFTED, UH, AGAIN, PRENATAL WELLNESS AND INFANT WELLNESS, WHICH IS UNIQUE AND IT IS IMPORTANT. AND WE, WE ARE GOING A STEP FURTHER, UM, IN TERMS OF RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO CARING FOR FAMILIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ANYTHING ELSE? ALRIGHT, LET ME THANK Y'ALL. IF THERE'S ANY QUESTION ON ANY OTHER TOPIC, I GOT ABOUT TWO, THREE MINUTES AND THEN I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO SEGUE OUTTA HERE. I HAD A QUESTION ALL WAYS, BUT I DUNNO IF YOU WANNA DO THAT SEPARATELY. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL. APPRECIATE YOU ALL. . THANK YOU'RE ON THAT ONE. YEAH. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.