“We provide a supportive and loving environment for the children we serve, allowing parents to go to work without worry. In forming a union, we seek to have a stronger voice as we advocate for one another and for the families that we serve.”
Gwen French
Maplewood, MN
“Governor Dayton’s executive order gives in-home child care providers the voluntary choice to join a union. The winners in this are Minnesota’s children and their parents.”
Jill Skwira
Brandon, MN
“Affordable access to critical training — such as first aid, CPR and child abuse prevention — will only improve the quality of care that we provide. Many of us struggle to pay the high costs of these important and necessary trainings, and the union would greatly reduce that worry.”
As in-home child-care providers in Minnesota, we are organizing to gain a voice, lift our profession, and improve opportunities for children and working parents. CCPT members talk about the joys, challenges and hopes we have. Read more...
We have just been informed that the January 17, 2012 hearing on Governor Dayton’s Executive Order has been continued to Wednesday, February 22, 2012. Judge Lindman has agreed to merge the hearing on the temporary injunction with a motion for summary judgment to dispose of the issue.
We at AFSCME Council 5 are continuing our work towards ensuring a successful election, once the ballots are mailed out. While Republican legislators continue using misleading letters and public distortions to bully providers, we will continue to fight for child care provider’s right to a democratic election and an eventual voice in the decisions that affect their profession and the families they serve.
Clarissa JohnstonChild-care providers told Republican legislators Thursday to stop spreading lies and scare tactics in their crusade to block a union election. “That kind of behavior is unacceptable,” said St. Paul provider Robert Ellis Sr. “These politicians are misusing their authority to silence our voices through court cases and misleading letters,” said Mounds View provider Clarissa Johnston. She and Ellis said legislators are falsely claiming that all providers will have to pay union dues, falsely claiming that all providers will have to join the union, and falsely claiming that parents will have to pay more if providers unionize. “These politicians, I feel, deserve a time out,” Johnston said. Read more...
Leaders of Child Care Providers Together/AFSCME invited 2,305 child care providers to participate in a telephone town hall meeting on December 6. They answered 45 questions about the union election and the opportunity for providers to have a stronger voice in decisions that affect their profession and the families they serve. Listen to a recording of the conference call:
Rep. Torrey Westrom, using taxpayer money, is mailing lies to child-care providers as part of Republican legislators’ campaign of misinformation and scare tactics. Westrom claims that all 11,000 in-home providers in the state “will be forced to pay full or ‘fair share’ union dues, and will be subject to additional regulation.” Minnesota Public Radio’s PoliGraph says: “Westrom’s claim is false.” Read the full investigation.
Today we suffered a temporary setback when a Ramsey County judge halted the union election among child care providers. The court will hear the case January 17 and it could be months before child care providers get to vote on whether or not they want to join a union. In issuing a temporary restraining order, Judge Dale Lindman said the unionization issue should have gone through the Legislature. But taking our case to the Legislature would be futile. It’s led by the same Republican legislators whose lawsuit denies providers their right to vote and have a voice in decisions that affect their work and the families they serve. These are the same legislators who cut providers’ pay, who slashed quality improvement grants for child care, and who have ignored the 7,000 families waiting for child care so they can go to work. For six years, providers have been fighting for a voice in decisions that affect their profession and we will not give up fighting for Minnesota’s children and their parents.
• Under this executive order, every in-home child care provider will have a choice whether or not to join a union. Membership will be voluntary, and providers would retain the right to run their own businesses.
• In-home child care providers would have a stronger voice in decisions that affect their profession and the families they serve.
• The health of our economy depends in part on working families having high quality, affordable and dependable child care, so parents can go to work with peace of mind knowing their kids are healthy, learning and safe.
Gov. Dayton issued an executive order Nov. 15 authorizing a union election among licensed, in-home child-care providers who participate in the state’s Child Care Assistance Program. The governor’s authorization means 4,300 providers will have 14 days to vote on whether they want a union, and their mail ballots will be counted before the end of the year. If successful, providers will be able to negotiate with the state over standards, funding, quality, and other issues that affect their livelihoods and the care they provide. Council 5’s Child Care Providers Together expects to win an election among 2,300 providers in the northern two-thirds of the state, including Hennepin, Ramsey, and St. Louis counties. When providers win, it will be the largest expansion of collective bargaining rights in Minnesota since passage of the Public Employee Labor Relations Act (PELRA) in 1971. Read more.
Open Letter to Family Child Care Providers from Tom Copeland: I offer this support because these unions have made a difference in improving the lives of child care providers and parents.
I recognize that not all child care providers are supportive of unions. Some worry that they may create unwanted competition and undercut the efforts of family child care associations or Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (CCR&R). I understand this concern. So far, I have not seen this as a serious problem. I have strongly supported the work of associations and CCR&R Agencies for many years and would oppose any efforts to undermine their good work.
Union organizing of family child care providers is a strange concept to some. However, joining a union will not make you anyone's employee, take away control of your business, force you to strike, or tell you to raise your rates or dictate your policies.
Unions are democratic organizations that make decisions by majority vote. I encourage child care providers to participate in these efforts to improve the child care field.
The union has nothing to do with running your business. It only means a large group of providers can band together to improve conditions for children, parents, and families. A union is a democratic organization that advocates on behalf of what its members want.
The unions are attempting to bring much more in resources to parents and providers than any fee a provider would have to pay in dues. The unions are also trying to improve the workings of the subsidy system to benefit parents and providers - it's not just about money.
I believe unions are sincere in trying to improve conditions for providers and parents and they certainly have done so in a number of other states.
The issue of homes being employees for purposes of negotiating with the state is a hybrid form of union. It's not reducing any power of a home provider to run her business. In no way does a union tell you how to run your business. It's a way to bring more providers together to advocate for themselves and parents. I can understand your opposition to unions who do a bad job. But the principle of union organizing is a democratic gathering together of folks to make their life better. Tom Copeland
Child poverty rose 56 percent in Minnesota during the last decade, so that by 2009 174,000 kids lived in poor economic conditions. Minnesota, which boasted the nation’s second-lowest poverty rate in 2000, fell to 11th in 2009, according to new KIDS COUNT research by the respected Annie E. Casey Foundation. AFSCME child care providers witness this alarming news every day as they help families hit hard by the recession. Parents desperately need quality, affordable child care and good jobs that can support a family. Poverty generally means poor housing and poor nutrition. Minnesota must deal with childhood poverty; otherwise, it will become harder to prepare children for school and success. Listen to the story. Read the report.
