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Washington, D.C.?The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) today endorsed legislation that its president said would help the government attract and retain the kind of experienced, quality employees that Americans need and deserve.

NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley said the union is "proud to endorse" the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act, a bill introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D?NY) that would allow federal workers to take up to six weeks of paid leave after the birth or adoption of a child.

"In recent weeks, Congress has been grappling with the issue of how to retain experienced and quality federal employees in a tight labor market," Kelley said in a Capitol Hill statement. "Allowing reasonable periods of paid leave following the arrival of a new child is one important step that can be taken."

She called the Maloney bill good public policy not just for federal workers, but "good for management, good for newborn children, and a good example for the private sector." NTEU, which represents 155,000 employees in 24 agencies and departments, is the largest independent federal union, and is a long?time leader in pursuit of family?friendly policies in the federal workplace.

Kelley said the Maloney proposal "is not a radical idea.," noting that Congress and the administration already have guaranteed that workers have 12 weeks of unpaid leave. "But," she added, "for many lower and mid?grade federal workers, the option of unpaid leave is no option." Passage of this bill "will make parental leave a real choice for working parents," the NTEU president said.