Should municipalities observe Juneteenth as a paid holiday?

Question: Several municipalities in our area do not observe Juneteenth as a paid holiday.  Should those municipalities observe this day as a “holiday”?

 

Answer:

 It depends on the agency’s policy. Unless it is approved by the board or listed in the contract with employees, Juneteenth does not automatically become a holiday. 

For instance, some collective bargaining agreements (CBA) state specific holidays.  If Juneteenth is not listed, it is not a holiday. In other CBAs if it states all Federal holidays, then Juneteenth is a holiday.