The Huntington Town Board has established Juneteenth as an official town holiday and created a one-time paid Covid-19 compensatory time program for eligible essential employees.
Juneteenth celebrates President Abraham Lincoln’s order to end slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation. Though ordered in 1862, word did not reach the enslaved in Teas until June 1865.
“Juneteenth is a holiday to be celebrated by all Americans as it is the moment in history all Americans became free,” said Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci, who sponsored the resolution creating the holiday. “It’s important to recognize the emancipation of our citizens who were enslaved, reflect upon their sacrifices and contributions, and recognize the significant progress we’ve made as a country in the century and a half since that time.”
The comp time program will go to eligible employees who worked in-person 75% of more of their workdays between March 16th, 2020 and June 8, 2020 will receive up to five paid days off for time worked based on a formula; the time off must be used by June 2022.
“When the entire world was being told to stay home, certain essential Town employees reported to work in-person to take on high-risk tasks necessary to ensure the safety of our residents, employees and facilities at a time of mass uncertainty,” Lupinacci said.