Gov. Eliot Spitzer on May 11 signed an executive order granting home-based child care providers throughout New York State the right to unionize. The order, which covers child care providers who receive payments directly or indirectly through state, city or local government funding, marks a milestone in the United Federation of Teachers' campaign to organize 28,000 of the workers in New York City.

Providers and organizers were overcome with joy following Gov. Spitzer’s announcement that he has granted union rights to providers. UFT photo.

"This is in keeping with our belief that it is important to extend rights to individuals—to extend the opportunity to negotiate, the opportunity to be heard and the right to complain," Spitzer said at a press conference at the City University of New York, where he also issued a resolution on Labor History Month in New York State.

UFT president and AFT vice president Randi Weingarten, who was on hand at the press conference along with fellow AFT vice presidents Richard Iannuzzi (president of New York State United Teachers) and Michelle Bodden (UFT vice president) as well as 25 family providers, called the executive order "just the beginning of the providers' quest to get the respect, recognition and fair wages they deserve for the important work they do."

Family day care providers in New York City earn $19,000 on average, with few or no benefits. One of them, Bronx provider Melvina Vandross, said that hearing the news was "like a hundred birthday parties all at the same time."

With the executive order in place, elections will now be held among the providers to determine if they want union representation. The UFT is the only union seeking to represent the New York City providers, while other unions are expected to seek bargaining rights for the 20,000 workers in the rest of the state.

More information on the UFT campaign is available online. [United Federation Teachers, Dan Gursky]

May 14, 2007