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Conservative Legislators to Sue
Conservative policymakers and policy advocates aren’t shy about advancing their agenda. The ends appear more important than the means as conservatives put narrow ideological interests ahead of Minnesota’s future. State Senator David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, recently threatened to sue Governor Dayton and the State of Minnesota, illustrating this phenomenon.
Two of Minnesota’s largest service worker unions, AFSCME and SEIU, want to organize in-home day-care workers into a union. Conservatives virulently oppose this action.
Following a joint hearing before Hann’s State Senate Health and Human Services Committee and the State Government Innovation and Veterans Committee, Hann made his objection to union organizing clear. But, he went one step further.
Hann proposes suing Governor Dayton and the State of Minnesota to prevent in-home childcare workers from organizing a union. Dayton, Hann argues, lacks the authority to authorize an organizing vote among Minnesota’s estimated 11,000 in-home day-care businesses.
Government, they’re arguing, has the proper authority to actively oppose unions but when that same government allows an organizing vote, then government has suddenly and mysteriously overstepped its authority. In other words, they’re only against government when conservative policies aren’t being pursued or implemented.
Minnesota’s workplace is rapidly changing. Minnesota’s workers have the right to organize. Minnesota’s conservatives will say and do most anything to crush workers’ rights. Two of these things move Minnesota forward. One stalls progress. Senator Hann’s lawsuit threat highlights the distinction.
Posted in Economic Development | Related Topics: Conservative Policy Courts & Justice Union Working / Middle Class Issues
12 Comments
November 18, 2011 at 3:30 pm
@Sara—because you do not take children on government assistance, you are not subject to being in the union. The vote won’t affect you at all.
November 18, 2011 at 2:32 pm
To put it simply, I explained it to my 14 year old son like this:
Imagine 400 students in your class chose to take a flat rate of $10 from the government just for attending school. The other 700 students chose to gamble, hoping they’d get paid more from their parents for good grades. Some of the 700 were paid more (based on quality work or well-to-do parents). Some of the 700 were paid less (based on poor work or parents on a tight budget). And some of the 700 were paid nothing at all. All 1,100 students had a choice. Later in the year, imagine your school determines that it’s impossible to keep all of their extra-curricular activities. So, there’s going to be a vote on which activities to keep and which activities to cut. Oh, but guess what? The principal decided tody that only the students who chose to be paid a flat rate by the government get to vote! Suprise!
My son’s response was, “That sucks!”
I agree with him 100 percent. What a smart kid!
November 18, 2011 at 2:30 pm
The problem is, that any decisions and changes brought to legislation (because of this union’s power) concerning childcare will directly affect me. Perhaps not immediately, but eventually. To think that it won’t affect the entire 11,000 providers is nothing short of ignorant. In addition, AFSCME (the union)went about getting the “support” of providers (both licensed registered and unregistered) by having them sign cards to “get more information about a union”. When in reality the provider was signing up to be a member of this union. Also, if you look it up AFSCME is American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. Family childcare providers are self-employed, NOT government employees. Child Care Providers Together (CCPT) is AFSCME’s special national body for childcare providers. Part of their mission statement reads,
“Our main goals are supporting child care providers, strengthening partnerships with other child care field agencies, and promoting professionalism and quality in caring for children.”
Nowhere does it state that they are bargaining for only registered providers. CCPT (remember a branch of AFSCME) is a voice for licensed providers, not just registered providers. All 11,000 licensed providers have a right to vote on this, as it will directly affect the future of our careers.
November 18, 2011 at 11:00 am
If you only take private money, then there’s no reason to gripe. You aren’t at all subject to anything a possible union-government decision might determine about what you’re paid. You decide that for yourself. You can use these determinations to set or change your own fees, but this has little or nothing to do with creating a union.
So where’s the beef?
November 17, 2011 at 6:08 pm
I’ve been providing licensed home childcare for more than 9 years. I belong to an association of providers that meets monthly for training, support, and camaraderie. This group upholds a high standard of care to all children. I do not want a union. I do not need a union. Many of the 50+ childcare providers I associate with do not want a union. The kicker of it is, I can NOT vote! According to M. Dayton’s order only childcare providers registered to serve families on childcare assistance will get to vote. I have had no need to register for susidized care because, currently, all my fees are privately paid. The way I see it is: If the government isn’t paying the provider, the provider has no voice. Acoording to reports only 4,300 out of 11,000 licensed home childcare providers are registered. Seems to me all 11,000 voices deserve to be heard, but not according to Dayton. How’s that for liberty?
September 29, 2011 at 1:37 pm
They are vastly underpaid for taking care of our children on a daily basis. And keeping them safe, and interested, and providing healthy snacks and lunches, and giving them a quiet place to nap.
Why wouldn’t we give these caretakers adequate salaries for keeping these children safe and well.
September 29, 2011 at 1:34 pm
A union can help daycare workers in many ways. I belong to the National Writers Union UAW 1981. This is directly from the TC website:
National Writers Union - Twin Cities Chapter
“In 1981, the National Writers Union was formed, despite the popular opinion that “you cannot organize freelance writers,” and the result is a union of chapters nationwide, representing its members with contract advice, legal assistance and a network of fellow writers like no other. The Twin Cities Chapter began in 1987 and is one of the strongest in the country.”
The union offers a healthcare policy, help in getting fair pay—and pay from some organizations who do not deal fairly with writers—help with grievances, contracts, and many other issues.
I can see how a union could help daycare workers, using many of these same items there as for freelance writers.
September 29, 2011 at 12:23 pm
If these people want to form a union, let them. That’s what America is all about. The Governor all along has said he would prefer to let Them vote the union in or out. The Repubs are much ado over nothing. These home businesses are grossly underpaid(my wife did this & got out) for the value of their work. If costs go up the parents will have to get a raise from their bosses. Seeing as middleclass salaries have been flat for 30 years, this may their only chance of getting more.
September 29, 2011 at 8:58 am
I totally agree with Bernie. The unionization of the Child Care workers will add costs for the people who depend it. In some cases the added cost will make a big financial difference in the lives of the very people that child care is suppose to help. The child care providers, like any other business can increase their rates if they so choose. They are already represented by their own business organization, so they already have lobbying power. The Union representation puts dollars in the hands of the Union organization and that is the basis for this decision, just as Bernie has said, a payback.
September 27, 2011 at 10:27 am
I thought determining whether or not the day care workers want a union was part of what this fight was all about.
September 27, 2011 at 8:17 am
Has anyone asked those in home day care workers if they want a union? What’s next John, school crossing guards? How about the workers in all of those lemonade stands that spring up across the state during the summer? You truly are blinded by ideology. This action by the Governor is political payback, plain and simple. Nothing more.
Sara says:
November 18, 2011 at 11:25 pm
Sean, I understand I will not be required to join the union…..I will say it again, to think that this union won’t affect the entire 11,000 providers is nothing short of ignorant. AFSCME is working as CCPT to represent ALL family childcare providers, not just those currently registered to accept families on childcare assistance. Yet only those registered are allowed to vote. If the union is claiming to work for all childcare providers, then all 11,000 should be voting.
I do not need a union, do not want a union, and deserve the right to vote. A union’s impact on daycare laws and rules will affect me, yet I’m being told I have no voice in whether there is a union. If 2,151 providers vote “yes” the union will have a voice twice that size. They will have the power of 4,300. To allow less than half of a group the right to vote is insane. And illegal, isn’t it? AFSCME started out dirty and is dragging M. Dayton with them.