1. Unions will raise the cost of the programs, making it unaffordable.

Truth: A unionized workforce will likely result in increased costs but these usually are balanced by higher employee morale, lower turnover, increased productivity and enhanced professional development for staff.

2. Unions pit teachers against parents.

Truth: Unions and parents are natural allies. Both unions and parents understand that early childhood programs are underfunded in most cases. That's because there is no consistent public funding for programs for children ages 0 to 4 as there is for K-12 or higher education. Thus, unionized teachers and other staff and parents should be allies working for quality and affordable early childhood education. Unions are eager to work with parents to get the help they need to afford quality early childhood programs.  (In fact, may unions negotiate child care services for the members they represent.)   

3. Unions create adversity between teachers and management. 

Truth: Unions are the mechanism that teachers and staff use to guarantee a voice in setting fair wages and working conditions. As long as staff and management respect one another, the process of organizing and collective bargaining need not lead to adversity.  When management insists on retaining all decision-making power, the result can be adversity, but it is not a conflict created by the union.

4. Unions represent control by outsiders. 

Truth: Teachers and staff at an early childhood setting are the union. Teachers and other staff choose a union that helps represent their interests. Those same workers, once they have democratically chosen by showing that a majority of the workforce wishes to be represented by the union, then elect their local union representatives. On the job, these representatives usually are called "shop stewards." Union members also vote on contracts, other officers and many other matters. As teachers and staff seeking to form a union, or—once having achieved union representation—looking for assistance in bargaining a contract, the union will assist with assigning staff to help (organizers, lawyers, researchers, negotiators and so on). But these staff are not "outsiders," they are part of the union team that works for the teachers and staff.

5. Unions eliminate flexibility. 

Truth: A written contract does intend to identify specific job rights and responsibilities of employees. Union and management can agree to retain certain kids of flexibility that are in the best interests of the program, as long as the flexibility does not infringe on the rights of the employees. A good collective bargaining agreement tries to eliminate arbitrary application of work rules or rewards that benefit management and exploit the employee.  Remember, a collective bargaining agreement (or contract) is an agreement reached by both management and employees through their union. The goal for both parties is to come up with a system that is fair for everyone.

6. Unions always strike to get what they want. 

Truth: Ninety-seven percent of all union contracts are settled without recourse to strikes.  A strike is only the last resort of an organized workforce; both labor and management know that a strike can have very difficult consequences for both sides, and thus it is not an option that is considered lightly. No one can make workers go out on strike. If workers decide to strike, it will be because they feel they have exhausted every other means available to influence their employer's behavior. The most important thing to remember about a strike is that it is the workers' choice. A democratic vote of the group of workers involved must be taken before a strike can take place.

7. Unions cost employees more than they get in return. 

Truth: Union members do have to pay for the support, technical assistance and protection that their union offers. They pay in the form of dues, as well as volunteer involvement in the union. Only union members can decide whether that investment is worth it. It is they who will have to decide how much their work lives are enhanced by winning a voice in decision making, wage and benefit increases, a written contract, and the legal and financial support to uphold the contract.

8. Unions do nothing to promote quality early childhood education. 

Truth: Turnover and inadequate training for the early childhood workforce are critical challenges. Wages and working conditions sufficient to attract and retain such a workforce are the cornerstone of any effort at quality enhancement. In addition to negotiating supportive working conditions, labor unions work in political coalitions to support public policies and funding and undertake public education campaigns that enhance quality, affordable early childhood education. For example, the AFT is promoting universal, voluntary preschool emphasizing the need for qualified and well-compensated staff by providing policy input to state and federal agencies and union governance bodies.

9. Unions will drive early childhood programs out of business. 

Truth: The high rate of teacher turnover and the inability to find qualified staff are driving programs out of business. The lack of adequate public funding and resources are driving early childhood programs out of business. Unions do not intentionally set out to drive an employer out of business; they do have a stake in the continued employment of their members. And, unions can often prove to be valuable allies for employers with unionized workforces. Unions and employers, together, can make a strong case to legislators and public officials for increased funding and other forms of assistance.

10. Unions protect incompetent workers. 

Truth: Unions try to protect all workers from unjust and arbitrary actions by their employers. As long as procedures are established and followed to guarantee that discipline and discharge occur only for just cause, a union will not seek to maintain the employment of an incompetent employee. Responsible unions agree that it is management's right to discipline and discharge employees when necessary and appropriate. What unions seek to eliminate is favoritism, inconsistent application of rules, lack of information about what the rules are, lack of fair job descriptions and other management actions that lead to unfair treatment of teachers and staff.