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Unionization of child care staff picks up steam
Home-based workers turning to teachers group
BY KAREN MATTHEWS The Associated Press

   NEW YORK — Jennie Rivera works 10-hour days taking care of children in her lower Manhattan apartment and has never had a paid vacation or earned more than $13,000 a year.
   Rivera hopes that will change now that she’s cast her lot, along with thousands of other child-care providers here, with the powerful New York City chapter of the American Federation of Teachers.
   New York is one of 11 states where workers like Rivera — not day-care center employees or nannies but child-care providers working out of their own homes — are permitted to unionize. Organizers argue improving conditions for these poorly paid workers will translate into better child care options for working parents.
   The lopsided pro-union vote during September and October — with 8,382 workers voting to join the United Federation of Teachers, and just 96 voting no — was hailed as the largest successful unionization campaign in the city since the 1960s.
   “Finally we have a voice and a place to go for support,” Rivera said at a union victory rally last month.
   According to a 2002 joint study by the Center for the Child Care Workforce and the Human Services Policy Center, there are about 1.8 million home-based child care providers. The category exploded in the 1990s with President Clinton’s welfare reform initiative, which sent poor women into the workplace and provided public funds for other women to take care of their kids.
   Legally classified as independent contractors, homebased child care providers can’t join unions unless the governor or legislature of their state authorizes them to.
   Opponents say allowing the providers to unionize turns them into de facto state employees and can potentially cost the states millions of dollars.
   In New York state, former Gov. George Pataki, a Republican, had vetoed a bill giving home-based child care providers the right to unionize, but Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer authorized it in an executive order signed in May.
   “These child care providers are some of most vulnerable workers in the state, and Governor Spitzer wanted to give them a greater voice in the decisions that affect their profession,” said Matt Anderson, a spokesman for Spitzer.
   Ten states besides New York have granted union rights to home-based child care workers, and three states — Illinois, Oregon and Washington — have signed statewide contracts with them.
   Illinois was the first, signing a three-year contract estimated at $250 million with the Service Employees International Union in December 2005.
   The mail-in ballot in New York City means that the UFT will represent some 28,000 home-based child care providers. Now it’s up to the union to negotiate a contract with the state for higher pay, health insurance and paid vacations.
   At the Oct. 24 victory rally in New York, AFT officials said that unionization would also mean better training for the workers and better care for the children.
   “I predict that today we are launching a new era in which the kids who move through elementary and secondary education will be better prepared,” said AFT Secretary-Treasurer Nat LaCour. “Dropout rates will go down. The number of kids who graduate ready to lead productive lives will go up.”
   Besides the AFT and SEIU, unions that are organizing home-based providers include the Communications Workers of America and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. AFSCME and SEIU signed an agreement in 2006 dividing up several states to avoid competing for the same workers.
   In Pennsylvania, some 3,700 home-based providers voted Nov. 1 to join the Child Care Providers United, an AFSCME-SEIU joint venture.
   “We learned the hard way that it’s far better for us to try to work cooperatively than to try to beat each other’s brains out,” said Jim Schmitz, organizing director for AFSCME.
   Home-based child care providers are among the nation’s lowest-paid workers.
   Helen Blank, director of leadership and public policy at the Washington, D.C.-based National Women’s Law Center, said that in 2002, the last year for which figures are available, the average annual earnings of self-employed child care workers ranged from $6,209 in New Mexico to $16,367 in Washington.
   Eileen Boris, the chairwoman of women’s studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara, said home-based child care workers are following in the footsteps of home health care workers, another group of quasi-public employees — independent contractors paid by the states.
   “The lessons that unions learned from organizing home care have been brought to bear on child care,” she said.
   Not everyone applauds unionization for home-based child care workers. Mayor Michael Bloomberg opposed the idea, which he said could cost up to $100 million a year in increased wages and benefi ts.
   Rivera, 38, is licensed to care for up to six children in her Lower East Side housing project named, coincidentally, after American Federation of Labor founder Samuel Gompers.
   She is paid per child — $26.50 a day for infants, less for older kids.
During a recent visit, toddlers Christian and Jalyn danced with Rock & Roll Elmo and took toy food items out of the toy refrigerator. Rivera sounded out the names of the foods — apple, pear, bread — while cuddling 5-month-old Erick on her lap. Rivera said she hopes unionization will bring health insurance and a pension. “There’s a lot of providers who retired before this happened,” she said, “and they retired with nothing.”

  
  
  

Of course they want to join the union.

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Jennie Rivera works 10-hour days taking care of children in her lower Manhattan apartment and has never had a paid vacation or earned more than $13,000 a year.

Okay, call me really stupid here, but Ms.Rivera is obviously 'self employed', right? And she works out of 'her' apartment, right? And she can charge whatever she wants, right? And she is the 'boss', 'owner' of this 'child care' business, right?

So unless I am  missing something here........what the heck is her problem?

That is my point exactly.  I am a self employed insurance agent, I knew going in I would not have the same benefits as those who work for unionized facilities.  For example health insurance, pension, etc. It is always ones choice to go into business for themselves and the rewards can far outweigh the security of a union........or not, but that is the choice.

M's Rivera wants more money and protection from any prosecution which may result from her doing her job with no cost to her as the unions supply a lawyer in such cases.

There are many independent child care workers that close shop, so to say, for vacation. Many independent, owner operated, child care workers not only take vacations, but when the children they take care of go on vacation with their parents and obviously don't require child care for that time....the parents STILL pay for that week to hold their spot. I don't know about other areas, but in this tri city area, it costs a bundle to bring a child to a day care center. I honestly don't know how they afford it.

But for Ms.Rivera, she is clearly not a good business woman. Cause in today's economy, child care workers can charge whatever they want and pretty much do whatever they want in regards to vacations....the skys the limit for them.

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State’s day care providers finding strength in numbers
New union doing battle for timely pay, insurance
BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter

   Colleen Dawson-Williams wants child care providers like herself to be thought of as more than just “glorified baby sitters.
   “Just because we work out of our home does not mean we are not professionals,” she said in an interview at her Home Away From Home day care in Schenectady.
   Dawson-Williams takes care of children in morning, evening and overnight shifts. She feeds the children, does arts and crafts, physical activities and games and takes them on educational field trips. And she’d like a little respect.
   “We have a big responsibility. These children are not commodities. They’re human beings,” she said.
   Providers like Dawson-Williams struggle with issues like late reimbursements from the county for services they provide and a lack of access to insurance. During the past five years, day care providers have joined forces to address these concerns; their efforts culminated in the formation of the 7,500-member Voices of Organized Independent Child Care Educators union, which the State Employment Relations Board officially certified in July.
   The new union is preparing to negotiate a contract with the Offi ce of Children and Family Services. Union spokeswoman Jill Asencio said that could happen before the end of the year.
   The movement began back in June of 2002 when about 30 private child care workers, who mostly operate out of their homes, protested in front of the Schenectady County office building. They county’s Department of Social Services reimburses private day care providers for watching children from low-in- come families.
   “They were not getting their payments on time. Sometimes, they were waiting three months for their payment to come in. They were consistently inaccurate,” Asencio said.
   The workers were previously classified as independent contractors and did not have the right to organize. On May 11, Gov. Eliot Spitzer signed an executive order that gave them that right.
   “It’s a perfect example of how grassroots organizing, persistence and working in solidarity can place people on the doorstep of major positive changes in an industry,” Asencio said.
   The union is affiliated with the 265,000-member Civil Service Employees Association.
FINANCIAL CONCERNS
   Dawson-Williams, who has been a child care provider for seven years, cares for about 10 children in different shifts. She said it is difficult to deal with late reimbursements from the county. Her mortgage, for example, is due in the middle of the month, but her payments often come in later than that.
   “How do you tell [lenders] that you have the money but you don’t have the money?” she said. She would like more consistency from the county in terms of payments, and she noted that foster parents receive their payments in a timely manner.
   The pay is also low. County reimbursement is about $150 per week per child, and providers could be working as many as 12 hours a day.
   “We’re very below the minimum wage, if you were to calculate it on an hourly basis,” she said.
   And Dawson-Williams noted that large child care centers get paid more money per child on the theory that they have more overhead.
   “We’re all in the same business. We’re all providing quality child care for children. One of our main concerns is to keep them safe and secure in a safe and clean environment,” she said. “If we’re providing the same quality care as the centers, why is there this discrepancy?”
   Another issue is a lack of time off.
   “We do not get paid for sick time, vacation time,” she said. “A lot of providers are forced to forfeit their vacation because they can’t afford to lose a quarter of their income for that month.”
INSURANCE ISSUES
   For Starr and Don DeAngelo, who usually care for about 12 children in their Rotterdam home, insurance is a big issue. They can get insurance for the child care business but not for their home.
   “We’ve been through everywhere. They will not give us liability [insurance],” Don DeAngelo said.
   Also, it is difficult to get affordable medical insurance.
   “We’re having to pay for that out of our own pocket,” he said, adding that he’d be grateful even for a subsidy.
   Starr DeAngelo said they are paying almost $20,000 a year and they had to cancel Don’s medical insurance because of the cost. “We figured maybe once we went union and we’d be fighting for this, somewhere along the line, we should be able to get insurance at a decent price,” she said.
   They are also fighting for timely reimbursements for the services they provide. For example, Starr DeAngelo said she is still waiting for reimbursement for three days of care provided in August and three days in September.
   Don DeAgnelo actually had to get a second job moving rail cars at the Rotterdam Industrial Park to supplement the couple’s income.
   Starr said she cooks for the children, participates in arts and crafts with them and teaches them so they’ll be ready for school. They have a “family day” every summer where they close off their yard and bring in ponies. They also have Halloween parties and a graduation day.
   “We just wanted the respect we feel we should get because we work hard at it,” she said.
   Asencio said said the union wants to make sure that providers are getting market-rate subsidy payments. The union also plans to offer homeowner and auto insurance policies and access to other member benefits such as life and disability insurance.
   Providers believe being in the union offers strength in numbers.
   “We didn’t really have any rights. You were all by yourself. If you wanted something, you weren’t going to get it because you’re just one or two people,” Don DeAngelo said.
   Dawson-Williams said the union can do the tough work.
   “We’re tired of fighting our own battles. We want someone to do that for us,” she said.

PETER R. BARBER/GAZETTE PHOTOGRAPHER

So basically their complaint is their reimbursement from the government. Well well....that's what ya get when ya let the government control! It's just plain and simple.....DON'T TAKE GOVERNMENT FUNDED CHILDREN! It may sound a bit unfeeling but true! And the government shouldn't be in the babysitting business either!! If our taxes weren't so damn high, perhaps that extra money in our paychecks could go toward things each 'individual' needs!

And I don't feel too sorry for you Colleen. You are coming across as a government gold digger. It seems a bit much to run 3 shifts of baby sitting. And I'm really sorry that a second job needed to be taken....well join the rest of us. And we all don't babysit for a living either and still require a 2nd job. No sympathy here.

Put our tax dollar to use on the really big items, such as public safety, protecting our boarders and defense. Leave the babysitting up to the private sector. Geezzzzz!!

Just maybe we'd all have more money if our elected officials would cut spending and lower taxes but as long as we all keep paying for these government run welfare programs we're not going to have any money left after taxes.

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“We just wanted the respect we feel we should get because we work hard at it,” she said.

She had my respect for a tough job well done, she lost it when she decided she no longer thought child care was a good idea unless she can suck the system dry.  I agree with Shadow if the County doesn't pay her in a timely manner then don't take the low income government funded kids.  By the time their new union gets done fighting for her and others rights the cost of her daycare will probably increase substantially.  The only ones who will be able to afford the unionized day care workers will be the ones being subsidized by the county government.

Just maybe we would have more $$ if we learned to live on one income or be more self sufficient.....capitalism is good but it can never be stalled and there must always be more to be bought sold etc.....and things get more expensive because we want what others have.....there is now a childcare union for such things/needs/wants......I'm not sure what they are anymore, wants or needs......

The original block of 'power' is the control over food and food prices....then the sheep follow......

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CAPITOL
Child-care workers vote to unionize
Organizer: ‘It’s been a long time coming’
BY BOB CONNER Gazette Reporter
Reach Gazette reporter Bob Conner at 462-2499 or bconner@dailygazette.net.

    A movement that had its origins in Schenectady in 2002 has resulted in the unionization of 25,000 childcare workers by the Civil Service Employees Association, according to Jill Asencio, a spokeswoman.
    Another 28,000 workers in New York City have been unionized by the public school teachers union there.
    Most of the new CSEA members came in as the result of a vote conducted by the state Public Employment Relations Board, the result of which was announced on Friday. An executive order issued last May by Gov. Eliot Spitzer eased the way for the unionization.
    Many of the child-care providers have clients who receive state subsidies, paid by the Office of Children and Family Services and funneled through county governments to the child-care workers. The amount and timeliness of those payments were at issue in Schenectady and in many other places.
    Ed Gresco, who used to offer child care with his wife in Colonie and is now a statewide organizer of child-care workers for CSEA, said the union has about 500 newly signed up members in Schenectady County, about 550 in Albany County, 340 in Saratoga County and 290 in Fulton and Montgomery counties. Gresco was involved throughout the organizing effort in Schenectady.
    “It’s been a long time coming,” Gresco said, but now, “We can get the change done that needs to be done.”
    Diane Madej, a child-care provider to five relatives in Amsterdam, said none of her clients currently receives a state subsidy. Still, she said, unionization will help people like her deal with the bureaucracy, and will give them a voice.
    Spitzer’s executive order drew opposition last May from E.J. Mc-Mahon, director of the fiscally conservative Empire Center for New York State Policy. He argued in a New York Post opinion piece that unionization would drive up costs for state and local governments, and for working parents seeking child care.
    McMahon could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
    A spokeswoman for Spitzer, Jennifer Givner, said in an e-mail: “Child-care providers are heavily regulated by the state, and receive funding through block grants to assist low-income families in purchasing child care.”
    The state, she said, has a substantial interest in ensuring the quality of child care, and that a sufficient number of qualified individuals are available to provide it. “Yet home child-care providers had not been organized before the [executive] order, and therefore lacked the means to have input into government decision-making about their interests.”
    OCFS and CSEA officials met over the weekend to discuss future contract negotiations and are scheduled to meet again on Saturday.

The cost of day-care just went up.

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The cost of day-care just went up.

Exactly!! So if they want to go on strike, who do they negotiate with.....the parents? Ridiculous!!!

And they're CSEA, which means it went up astronomically!