Home-Based Child Care Workers Seek Union

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

NEW YORK (AP) — 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.

Read more: http://money.excite.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt_top.jsp?news_id=ap-d8srl7u00&

[Demeter]

1. Sounds More Like a Guild Than a Union

But more power to them.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. I totally support unions

But I'm puzzled about how unionization for home based childcare workers might work? Aren't most home based childcare providers already able to pretty much set their own terms, create their own work conditions, etc? Our current private home based childcare provider wrote up a contract that we signed off on and then later added an addendum (that was NOT subject to our approval-more of an FYI) that made it so we have to pay her for holidays because, as she reasoned to us, my wife and I get paid holidays-why shouldn't she? So, for instance, even if she is not caring for our daughter on Christmas Day (and there is ZERO chance of THAT), we still pay her for it. So, what would being unionized mean in practical terms for home based childcare providers?
:shrug:

[Omaha Steve]

4. From the same article

"Now it's up to the union to negotiate a contract with the state for higher pay, health insurance and paid vacations."

It looks to me like home based providers will fall under a contract approved by the state.

[Spangle]

5. Exactly what I was thinking

They are contract labor and each and every one of them write their own contract.

When they strike, what would be the reasons? A family refused a contract, so they all will strike?

AS for charging you for the holiday after the fact, that was wrong. She must have found out later that other caregivers did that. And instead of waiting to add it to new contracts, she just charged it for the old contracts. Doesn't sound like an honest persons.

Some day cares charge 1/2 price for 1 vacation week, that must be pre arranged.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. Yeah

My wife and I were not very happy about it either but, considering our expenses and our finances, we really can't afford to look elsewhere at the moment. She does do a good job with our daughter and has actually used some of the money that we give her for childcare to buy some educational/developmental things for her to use while she is over there, so, overall, I think that it seems to be as good of a deal as we can get at the moment even if all of the terms are not totally acceptable.

[flashl]

3. Homeland Security's ICE showed up at Swift meatpack plants after union talk. n/t