The government employee unions are up to their old tricks in trying to muscle independent childcare providers into paying union dues and so-called “fair share” fees.
They aim to classify small business owners as employees of the state of Minnesota, violate federal anti-trust laws by forming unions made up of business owners and force every childcare provider (license or unlicensed) to pay dues or fees to the government employee unions.
Since Governor Dayton’s illegal executive order to unionize childcare providers was shot down by the courts last year, AFSCME and SEIU have now turned to the legislature to help them force independent, self-employed small business owners into their government employee unions.
With little notice, the childcare provider unionization bill (SF 778) will get its first Senate hearing on Monday.
Read the rest and see what you can do at ChildcareFreedom.org.
Talk about predatory! Why is it okay for predatory actions to take place when it’s coming from government unions that government Dayton gives authority above everyone else to infiltrate government into private business where government isn’t required and private businesses successfully govern their own? Government unions illegally solicit private businesses with “more” benefits that could only be possible by reducing livelihoods by raising taxes and increasing the cost of living on everyone else! That’s not balance, smart, civil or honorable investments of tax payer funding. Minnesota needs more private businesses that take pride to govern their own.
With the government breaking laws they’re expected to follow, what good are we paying them for? Get the government off our backs so taxes can reduce and Minnesotans can stand on our own. btw why is it up to government at any point to use time and money to give permission to change or allow private liquor stores hours? Why isn’t that the freedom of the owner?
I find it unethical & unfair that a child care worker cannot make enough to support herself. The wages are far too low & benefits paltry. My longtime friend, Janet, has a Bachelor’s degree in Child Psychology & Development, and is a single adult, Yet she cannot make even a basic living as a full-time Nanny or working in a licensed day-care center. Because of the poverty wages, she has had to take 2nd & 3rd jobs & recently left the child-care career for other work that has benefits. If it means these folks have to unionize to ensure good wages & benefits, they should do so.
Instead of excoriating the unions & people who are fighting for a decent wages & benefits, why don’t you talk to the folks who take care of your children ? Find out firsthand what’s going on. Ask them if they think they are fairly paid for the long hours & work they do. After all, these people who love children & devote their lives to taking care of our next generation. They deserve some respect & fairness, not criticism.
First of all, we’re not talking about childcare “workers.” We’re talking about business owners – self-employed people who set their own rates. Some accept parents receiving childcare assistance payments, which is up to them. They can say, “Cash up front,” or “we accept cash, checks or CCAP and Mastercard.”
CCAP payments are essentially welfare payments made on behalf of low-income families, to help defray the cost of childcare so they can go to work. Since providers set their own rates, some are willing to work for as little as the state subsidy. Others are not. That’s a personal choice. If CCAP provides a low-income working family $100 for childcare and the provider they choose charges $125, then the parents provide the CCAP payment (like foodstamps for childcare) and pony up $25 in cash.
Licensed home-based childcare providers are all self-employed. They can set their own rates and terms with their clients (the parents). The only thing the unions can do is take a cut of their money if they continue to accept low-income, subsidized parents – which many have said they won’t do if they’re forced into a government employee union. The costs for all parents (both subsidized and self-paying) will increase. The number of providers available to take parents needing assistance will decrease, but the union coffers will get fatter, while providing no tangible benefits to these embattled small business owners who’ve been fighting the union’s attempts to grab a slice of their hard-earned pie for over 7 years.
With the exception of one person, the only people who testified in favor of unionization of small business owners were people on the payroll of the unions. Over 15 actual full-time home-based childcare providers took the time and expense to find substitutes so they could come to the Capitol to defend their livelihoods and ALL of them testified against this power and money-grabbing unionization scheme. Did the DFL members care? No. They owe the unions and intend to pay them back with other people’s money. We are heartsick that these (mostly women) childcare providers have had to devote years of their lives and tens of thousands of dollars returning to the Capitol, filing (and winning) lawsuits year after year to keep these greedy government unions off their backs. That’s Why Minnesota Majority will keep fighting for their independence. These wonderful ladies (and a few gentlemen) have heart. Leave them alone!
rates shouldn’t increase if providers decide to join the union. Members due are considered a tax deduction for self employed business owners according to the IRS…..Im just sayin……
“Tax deduction” doesn’t mean you get to deduct that amount from your income tax bill. It means it’s money you didn’t earn as income (because it, like supplies, sub labor, etc is an expense). Thus, that gross income isn’t taxed, but the money still comes out of the bottom line of the business. If the cost of groceries to feed kids snacks goes up, that’s going to raise rates, even though the expense isn’t taxed as income.
I find it unethical that government stick their nose where it doesn’t belong. Obviously your friend figured things out which is what the brain does. Open the mind! The government and their costs doesn’t belong in private businesses or health care. It’s the responsibility of people until overpowering government interferes to make it government! Why are private businesses forced by government to unionize? Period! It’s for government control and increase taxes! Where you have one story who are you dinkytown gal, to tell private businesses you now better? Mr. McGrath is absolutely right where you fail to consider the facts that brought us here! Maybe reeducating yourself in freedom and personal responsibilities to be free will help benefit you to know where the government line has been underhandedly and unjustly erased.
Dear Gal, I so agree with you…. low pay, no benefits, no respect, no fairness, and lots of criticism…… Those are the exact reasons I rallied for a union. An organization so powerful that inspectors, dept of social services, and office of family and children services were forced to respect us and listen to our concerns. We actually negotiated subsidized child care rates and kept the market rate pay at the 75% when across the country budgets were cutting allocation of funds……at least Minnesota providers can decide wether they want a labor union or not, before now it wasn’t even a choice…they were told they can not have bargaining rights…period…end of discussion….. god speed…..Doreen
Since Childcare Assistance is a benefit to low-income families to help them pay for childcare (it’s like food stamps for child care), shouldn’t the families be the target for unionization?
The union is SO POWERFUL that it kept things exactly the same and charged you for the “service.” Sounds like a sweet deal.
Well, at least you felt respected while the unions were stealing from you, low income families and the taxpayers.
Education is so needed here. In 16 states childcare providers have organized and decided wether or not to join a union. As a U.S. citizen shouldn’t you have the freedom and right to CHOOSE?
Education is needed. On that, we agree. I don’t know all the details on how childcare unions operate in other states, but Minnesota is a “Fair Share” state, meaning people in a unionized job who don’t want to be part of the union are still legally compelled to pay the union up to 85% of union dues. Unionization under this proposal will be in no way voluntary.
Childcare providers are business owners and some are employees (of temps and assistants). It’s illegal under federal labor laws for business owner/employers to join or form a union.
Government employee unions who represent licensing officials also want to force the childcare providers who have to negotiate with licensing officials into the same representation. COnflict of interest? Youbetcha.
The unions want to add $3 million a year to their coffers on the backs of small business owners and can offer no tangible benefit in return. It’s legalized “protection money.”
Currently, any childcare provider who so-desires can join the union and pay their dues. Of over 11,000 licensed providers, 57 of them have exercised that right in the last 8 years. Not enough for the unions, so they want to force everyone in with a gerrymandered phony election.