The employees of Guilford County are on the verge of being able to add another vacation day – this one in June – to the list of holidays they currently get off.
At a Thursday, April 7 commissioners work session with county staff, Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston told staff that he wanted them to start the process of establishing Juneteenth – June 19 – as a new annual holiday for county employees, beginning this year.
Juneteenth, sometimes known as “Black Independence Day,” is a holiday in honor of the freeing of enslaved African-Americans.
Juneteenth was signed into law as a federal holiday in June of last year, however, the June 19 holiday has been celebrated in select parts of the country since the end of the Civil War. June 19 each year is the anniversary of the official announcement in 1865 that slaves in Texas were free.
At the April 7 afternoon meeting in the Blue Room in the Old Guilford County Court House, Alston gave instructions to Guilford County Manager Mike Halford to bring back information to the board that will help the commissioners make the decision.
“How much will it cost?” Alston asked.
He added that he also wanted to know how much of a burden it would be on Guilford County government to lose the services of the roughly 2,500 employees for one additional day each year in mid-summer.
Alston said after the meeting that he hopes the county will be able to implement the holiday fast enough for county employees to get the day off this year.
When Alston, the chairman of the Democratic-majority Board of Commissioners, hopes something will happen in Guilford County government, it usually does.
The City of Greensboro already recognizes Juneteenth as an official holiday which will be on Monday, June 20 this year since June 19 falls on a Sunday.
No surprises on this one. More freebies.
Here’s a better idea. Don’t close for any holiday (including Thanksgiving and Christmas), but give employees the holiday pay in their check if they choose to work. The Police, Fire, and 911 employees (and some others) don’t get the choice of taking off on a holiday since their job roles are 24/7.
The City of Greensboro already recognizes Juneteenth as an official holiday which will be on Monday, June 20 this year since June 19 falls on a Sunday.
RIDICULOUS!
Why should we, the taxpayers and citizens of Greensboro and Guilford County get up and go to work on Juneteenth and June 20 while city and county employees stay home.
As with any government holiday the taxpayers work while government plays.
Pretty soon there will be so many paid holidays that there won’t be any days left to work. I love it. Keep it going.
You cannot be serious! Another paid holiday! And for what reason-another woke bunch of make believe. Give them the holiday without pay-they do very little anyway.
Don’t cost you a thing, Skip. How about the taxpayer?
We are paying more people not to work.
They should get April 4 th as a holiday
April 1st is more appropriate.
SMH
As a longtime county employee, keep it.
We already have Memorial Day & Independence Day off as paid holidays. Unless we’re going to start following the European model for paid leave, you can keep it. Just celebrate Independence Day for everyone. Segregated holidays shows that were not sincere about race relations.
LOL, it is ok for white folk to celebrate Juneteenth just as it for people of color. It isn’t about segregation, it is about recognition of an important point in American history. Do we need another paid holiday? That is a different subject where I fall on the side of No. Using your silly logic, National Independence day is racist since it didn’t provide independence to slaves.
Both are important points in history to be remembered.
Independence Day was recognized as a national holiday 7 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, and is for all Americans, but keep using that liberal logic. Juneteenth is a celebration of how slow news traveled back then, absolutely nothing newsworthy happened on that day.
All Americans except for the 6 million slaves in this country at the time. Their freedom didn’t start until Juneteenth. How is that liberal logic? Do you really believe slaves celebrated their owners change in legal status?
Independence Day was from British rule king before slavery was an issue. Maybe all blacks should have to work on July 4th if they want Juneteenth off. I still say it should be April 4th
You must have been asleep during history class. There were over 4 million slaves in 1863 and when the holiday was declared in 1870 that number had grown by over a million more.
If Skip is so concerned about the cost (HaHa), it could be made cost neutral by taking away
a holiday already on the schedule. But when you are spending other people’s money……….
Rough estimate: 2500 employees x 8 hrs per day x $25 per hr (including benes)= $500,000.00 for the “holiday”.
$25/hr. Including benefits?
Uhhhh, no. My part alone will be $1,300 plus benefits for the day. $500k won’t come close to covering the day for tge whole county. Those who are smart will fill in where things are short or behind for “holiday premium” which is double time pay.