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10,000 Child Care Providers Getting a Voice on the Job |
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| Trudy Bean |
More than 10,000 child care providers in Kansas and Pennsylvania won collective bargaining rights this month when the states’ governors signed executive orders guaranteeing the workers a voice on the job.
In Kansas, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) signed the executive order granting bargaining rights to some 7,000 state licensed and regulated home child care providers. The state then certified the workers’ choice to join Child Care Providers Together Kansas/AFSCME, capping off their six-month drive for a voice at work.
Meanwhile in Pennsylvania, 4,000 child care workers will vote this fall on whether to join United Child Care Union—a local union formed by AFSCME and SEIU—following Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell’s executive order granting the workers collective bargaining rights.
The home-based child care providers are reimbursed by the state for taking care of children from low-income families and the executive orders will enable them to bargain over wages and benefits and give them a voice in setting quality child care standards and regulations.
Trudy Bean, a family child care provider in Eureka, Calif., is among thousands of child care providers who have a union through AFSCME and says since she’s been in the union, she has a say on the job as never before.
As family child care providers, we’re seldom part of the decision-making process. Coming together with AFSCME and Child Care Providers Together help us make our voices heard about things that matter, like regulations and contracts for subsidized care.
Child care workers around the country have been fighting for a voice at work. In May, 60,000 New York home child care providers won bargaining rights, as did 40,000 Michigan workers in December. Other recent wins came in Oregon, New Jersey, Iowa, California, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin.
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