St. Paul makes Juneteenth a paid city holiday

St. Paul city employees will get extra paid time off each year after the City Council on Wednesday approved changes to union contracts that listed Juneteenth as the 11th city holiday.

The city officially joined a growing number of employers across the country who, in the wake of George Floyd's killing, started recognizing June 19 as a day to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter last month established Juneteenth as a city holiday. Staff received paid time off and many city facilities closed "to honor and celebrate the history, memory and culture of African American people, and the societal impact that has reverberated to all people in our community and beyond," Carter said in a proclamation at the time.

St. Paul observed the holiday on June 18 since Juneteenth fell on a Saturday.

The additional holiday costs about $67,000 annually to cover holiday pay and lost parking meter revenue, said Peter Leggett, Carter's communications director. St. Paul employs about 3,000 workers eligible for city holiday benefits.

President Joe Biden last month signed legislation making Juneteenth a federal holiday. The city of Minneapolis and Hennepin County also made Juneteenth a paid holiday for employees this year.

Katie Galioto