Order for union vote will impact child care providers

Representatives of the Child Care Providers/American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 5 and the Service Employees International Union Kids First Local 284 have spent six years trying to organize licensed daycare providers and contend they have majority support from those eligible to vote.

“Daycare providers would like to have a voice when decisions about their occupation are being made,” said Jennifer Munt, spokesperson for AFSCME Council 5 — the union that would represent providers in the northern part of the state. “Providers are seeking a strong voice to work with the state to increase quality of child care, to improve access for working parents, and to stabilize their profession.”

Kim O’Loughlin, who has provided child care in her International Falls home for the last 13 years, said a union would “give me more of a professional recognition.”

O’Loughlin said there is nothing that bothers her more than when people refer to her as a babysitter. “Providing daycare is a job — it is a career.”

Munt said that in Minnesota, there are 11,000 home-based child care providers — 4,300 of them will be eligible to vote by mail ballot Dec. 6. Providers will have 14 days to vote and results are expected to be announced Dec. 21.

“I’m not taking sides on what the outcome should be,” Dayton said at a news conference announcing his decision. “I’m just giving people who are for and people who are against what I think is the fairest way, the American way, to resolve their differences, which is to hold an election and let the majority decide.”

Munt said one misconception of Dayton’s order is that all providers will be required to join should the majority of providers vote in favor of union representation.

“That is not the case,” Munt clarified. “Membership will be voluntary and providers will retain the right to run their business as they always have and providers will not have the right to strike.”

Hallie Swenson, who has been a licensed provider in International Falls for four years, admits she has received a lot of information regarding the issue, but will have to research further into it before making an informed decision.

“I’m not for it (becoming unionized) or against it,” she said.

“I will need to look into the pros and cons of the issue,” added local provider Toni Korpi.

Those opposed to the unionization, including several GOP state lawmakers, say becoming unionized will mean higher child care rates as providers pass on the cost of union dues to the parents, but Munt said that argument is false.

“Child care providers will run their own business and joining a union won’t change that,” she said. “Parents will still negotiate prices and terms of agreement with their providers.”

Lawmakers are also arguing Dayton’s order is illegal. Munt pointed out that 13 other states currently recognize the right of child care providers to bargain collectively and have a voice in decisions that affect their work. That has helped those states improve training, provide more consistent care, minimize turnover among providers, increase quality and affordability for parents, and help providers get timely reimbursement for their services, she said.

Munt said her hope that when providers vote between Dec. 6 and Dec. 20, that they take the kids into consideration.

“We can’t ignore the fact that kids are eating and learning in the 4,300 homes of those who will vote,” she said. “If the providers work for the state, we can be sure the kids get the proper nutrition and curriculum they need to prepare them for school. The health of our economy depends on our working families to have high quality, affordable, dependable child care. Parents should be able to go to work with peace of mind that their kids are healthy, they’re learning, and they’re safe.”

Dayton’s order and a fact sheet are online at www.mn.gov.