Currently when an average county employee becomes a parent, she or he might take three or four weeks off, using a combination of about seven days of sick leave, three days of vacation time, three days of unpaid leave, and four days from a bank for catastrophic leave time, according to a county report.

The union said the heavy use of unpaid leave showed the need for increased benefits for new parents.

SEIU Arizona Local 48 President Art Mendoza said the compromise is good for employees and for taxpayers. It accomplishes the goal of making sure employees can afford to take leave, he said.

Miller said she opposed the extra benefits because the money could have been used to give overdue pay raises to public safety workers.

She said the county could offer an insurance product similar to short-term disability insurance, allowing employees who want parental leave coverage to pay a premium, since not everyone needs the coverage.

Supervisor Sharon Bronson was a swing vote at the board meeting.

Her concern was how to pay for the extra benefits without raising taxes and in a time when the county hasn’t been able to budget for other types of pay and benefit increases.