Maryland: Child Care Providers Vote for Union
According to the Baltimore Sun:
Maryland's nearly 6,000 home-based child care providers have voted to form a union that they say will provide needed training and ensure better reimbursement rates.
The vote was organized by the Service Employees International Union, which has already organized workers in Illinois, Oregon and Washington state. Ballots were counted Monday by the American Arbitration Association and the results - 75 percent of state child care workers voted to join the union - were announced yesterday in Baltimore.
"This is an exciting day for family child care providers and the kids and parents who depend on us," said Madie Green, a child care provider from District Heights in Prince George's County. "Now we have the strong voice we need to stand up for affordable, quality child care in Maryland."
Although the organization effort started nearly three years ago, the push intensified this year when the state was late in paying some child care providers. The state switched to a new payment system and at first there were glitches in the new software.The state pays child care workers to care for children of low-income working families and families coming off welfare assistance. An average of $10.2 million is paid out to providers every six weeks, according to the Maryland State Department of Education, which manages the program...click to continue.
