Released June 2007

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Last month we asked providers to send us their questions about union organizing in the family child care field. A number of questions were submitted, and here's how representatives of the AFSCME and SEIU unions answered them:

Can providers be forced to join a union? No provider or individual can ever be forced to join a union. Providers who choose to join the union have full member benefits—the right to vote in union elections, ratify contracts, and run for union offices.

Laws in some states permit unions to receive a "fair share" or "agency" fee that providers must pay if they are caring for subsidized children. In the three states where the unions have negotiated a contract with a state (Illinois, Washington, and Oregon), this fee is taken out of the higher subsidy rate that providers received under the contract. In other words, the unions negotiated a contract with the state that significantly increased the amount of money providers receive for caring for subsidized children. Over the life of the contracts, providers will almost always receive more in subsidies than they will have to pay in fees.

All providers who care for subsidized children, whether or not they are members of the union, will have to pay these fees. This is because 1) unions are required by law to represent everyone in the bargaining unit whether she (or he) chooses to join the union or not, and 2) everyone in the bargaining unit directly benefits from union contracts. Fair share or agency fees simply ensure that everyone who benefits helps pay for the cost of representation. Laws and formulas to calculate fair share or agency fees vary from state to state.

Can a union require me to put up a political sign in my front yard? Members or a union are not required to post a political sign in their front yard. Family child care providers come together in a union to have the strength of a united statewide voice on the issues that affect them, including regulations, improved subsidy reimbursement rates, and affordable access to health insurance. Unions will work to support child care providers and to elect officials who understand the importance of early education and quality child care. Union members are always free to support any candidates they choose.

Will providers continue to design their own curriculum to meet the needs of parents in their community? Family child care providers are professionals and understand what the learning needs are of the families and children they care for. Providers will continue to make their own decisions about the curriculum that they use, taking into account any guidance provided by the state or local agencies.

Will providers continue to be able to set the fees they charge and the hours they work? Family child care providers who join a union will remain independent contractors and will continue to make their own decisions about how to operate their businesses, including what fees to charge and hours to work, within the parameters set by the state. Unions will not tell providers what to charge or when to work.

Can unions require me to care for children from certain families? Providers who join a union will continue to remain independent and will make their own decisions about the children they care for. There is nothing in the union contracts that have been signed with three states that would require providers to care for children from certain families.

What can unions do that a family child care association cannot? Unions boost the resources that family child care, early childhood professional associations, and child advocacy organizations bring to their work. Unions:

• can endorse and support political candidates and elected officials at local, state and national levels.
• have full-time experienced lobbyists in almost every state, and the nation's capitol Union membership that numbers in the millions is an added asset to the work of family child care associations.
• educate millions of working families about family child care.
• market family child care programs to their members.
• mobilize ALL their members on behalf of family child care and promote access to quality early childhood education and health care for all children and families.

If a provider joins a union, will any part of her dues go to specific political candidates? No. Unions are prohibited by law from using dues funds to make contributions to specific political candidates. Unions have separate political funds to which members may choose to contribute on a voluntary basis. Members have opportunities to learn about where candidates stand on issues and participate in decisions about who the union endorses. Of course, union members are always free to vote for the candidate of their choice and make individual political contributions.

Are unions going to go to our clients and negotiate wages? Raising wages and accessing affordable benefits for those working in family child care and early childhood education is a big challenge. As a nation, we do not value early care and education enough to invest in it. We never have.

Providers can't ask parents to pay much more than they are already paying. Most working parents cannot afford to pay what it really costs to provide quality early care and education, especially if providers charged fees that cover living wages and benefits. Parents need help paying for quality early care and education. It is a valuable public good that benefits everyone in our society. Until providers get more public support, providers end up subsidizing the cost.

Building family child care unions brings more resources to the work providers have been doing for years to secure a real commitment from our elected and public officials across the country and in Washington, DC, to ensure that every child has access to quality early childhood education. That commitment translates into higher wages and better benefits for everyone working in early childhood education.

Unions have already organized hundreds of thousands family child care providers across the country. In states where unions have negotiated agreements, they have successfully increased subsidy rates, improved access to affordable benefits, improved payment and regulatory systems, expanded access to professional development, lowered costs to parents, and expanded eligibility for subsidies. The success of unions so far is a good start and a big step toward building a national movement that will ensure providers can finally be compensated fairly for the valuable work they do.

Will building unions for family child care providers fix everything overnight? No. Addressing a problem this big takes time and effort. Joining a union is making an investment in the future of family child care and the children providers serve. The more family child care providers invest in their unions, the more effective these unions will be.

About the Unions

These answers were provided by Denise Dowell (AFSCME) and Cathy Sari (SEIU). Denise is the Coordinator of Child Care Providers Together, which is affiliated with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). For further information, contact AFSCME at http://www.afscme.org/childcare or call Denise at (215) 964-0984. Cathy is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which can be reached at http://www.KidsFirstSEIU.org or (866) 565-1465.

Provider Comments

A number of providers sent us their opinions about unions. Here are comments from two:

Con

"I don't think that daycare providers will benefit from a union. All we would do is pay dues and get nothing back. Are they going to go to our clients and negotiate wages? I doubt it. They may encourage us to ask for more benefits, but will they help us get them?"

Pro

"I am a childcare union member and I feel every provider ought to embrace what unions can do for us. At the very least, the strong backbone of support, organization and finances and especially the lobbying skills of the unions in our society is so very important. I never thought I would see the day that a union that works for me, as a self-employed childcare provider, would exist. The union does not tell you how to run your business, it is only here to help us prosper. Even if you decide not to go union, you still need to be aware of what is going on with childcare subsidies."

(These comments have been edited.)

Redleaf National Institute has taken a neutral position regarding unions. We do not endorse or oppose union organizing of family child care providers. We have written a number of articles about union activity. For more information, see the Unions section, http://www.redleafinstitute.org/index.cfm?page=rr&category=unions

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