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Responses from UFT President Randi Weingarten and home child care providers printed in the NY Post
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Reading Robert B. Ward’s column (“Union Giveaway,” Post Opinion, June 1) makes me wonder why trying to do something that will raise the wages of some of the lowest-paid workers in the region and give them basic health benefits is always characterized as a union giveaway.
The family daycare providers who are seeking to unionize – and the parents they serve – are the very people who are trying to get off welfare and go to work, something his state Business Council would no doubt support.
Instead, Mr. Ward makes ridiculous assertions that forming a union would cut the number of providers, raise child care costs and possibly mean a total loss of funding for the providers. Four states have already agreed to let family daycare providers organize and there has been no loss of funding; in fact, it has never even been an issue. Mr. Ward’s arguments are exactly the same objections raised by people who do not want to increase the minimum wage.
Mr. Ward’s implication that the providers would become state employees entitled to all Civil Service benefits is also wrong. The legislation clearly says they “shall not” be considered state employees for any other purpose other than the Taylor Law, which gives them the right to bargain collectively – and also bars them from striking. That means they would not automatically be entitled to any Civil Service benefits and would have to negotiate from scratch.
The bottom line is that the providers, who often work 50 to 60 hours a week for far less than $20,000 a year, need a union to fight for them and provide professional development training that will not only help them, but benefit parents and children as well.
Randi Weingarten,
President, United Federation of Teachers
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Mr Ward:
It is amazing that you felt compelled to write this opinion when you have so few facts about what family daycare is really all about. You don’t seem to know that a “modest” wage does not even begin to describe the wages I am paid. If I care for an infant from 7:00 in the morning to 6:00 at night, that adds up to 11 hours for the day. For a month with 22 work days, I would be paid a whopping $2.60 per hour. In addition to the low pay, there are no benefits – no vacation time, no days off, no retirement plan. I need a union.
I am not just a babysitter. I am one of the most important people in the lives of the young children I care for. Through a structured program of activities each day, I teach them their letters and their numbers, and eventually how to read and write. I help them learn how to take care of their own basic needs, like toilet training, tying shoes and feeding themselves. I take them on trips and help them become social beings who will be assets to their family and community. I have been in this business so long that I now have the children of children I taught when they were small. That certainly says something about how effective and efficient I am. However, that does not increase my salary. I need a union.
I have to provide them with at least two meals and a snack each day. In addition, I provide them with diapers and wipes, books, paper, pencils, puzzles, blocks, toys, games and arts and crafts materials. A union would help me to obtain reimbursement for some of these items. I need a union.
When an investigator comes to my home, I am at the mercy of subjective decision making. No two workers give the same information. Documentation is often lost, resulting in licenses and payments being delayed for long periods of time with no recourse and often no explanation. A union would give me a voice that I don’t have now. I need a union.
A union would provide me with some of the perks that all other workers take for granted. It would guarantee that I get a “modest” wage for real. In addition, I would be able to prepare for retirement and take a well deserved vacation from time to time. In addition, I would be able to obtain the best training available so that I can continue to provide the best care. Contented teachers do a great job of preparing the next generation of taxpayers. I make it possible for more people to work and pay taxes. I need a union.
You admit that I provide a necessary public service, but you deny with the same breath that I should be compensated fairly for the work that I do. I need a union to protect me from people like you.
Take another look!!
Cheryl Epperson
Queens Provider
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To: Robert B.Ward
I am disappointed that someone in your caliber would think so little of daycare Providers. Do you not think that everyone is entitled to a fulfilled life? Why should we as providers have to worry about where our next meal is coming from, and hope that none of our family members fall ill and have to face those extraordinary hospital bills. We are an important group of people.We are not baby sitters, we do not sit back and look at these children eat and sleep all day. Children are with us being taught from the time they enter our care. We are their teachers and they are in our care anywhere between 6-10 hrs per day. Making our work shifts 50 hrs per week. We teach them how to say the ABC's,123's, read, write, color, paint, recognize their names, shapes,eat,dress,speak, socialize, need I say more? When these children are in our care they become ours, and we have to treat them as such. There are too many situations when providers have to dig deep into their already low budget to provide for the children we care for, to get things like(food, books, toys, pampers,wipes) you name it, we have to supply where others have fallen short. We cannot in our conscious minds see them go hungry or stay in a wet diaper until someone comes to pick them up. I don't know if you have children ,but,maybe you were fortunate enough to have a wife that was able to take care of your children until school age.
Unfortunately many of us could not and cannot afford to do that.
Providers ARE NOT making a modest income we are in the 17 to 19,000 per year bracket, I am sure that you are aware of the fact that the cost of living in every aspect is on the rise and have been for a while, even NYCHA have increase their rents and the residents have to pay for use of any maintenance done in their premises . You wondered why the bill was passed unanimously in the Senate, it's because they realize that we are the ones who are preparing their children for the world.And nothing is wrong with Albany, they are doing their jobs.We are taxpayers and we are entitled to benefits, health insurance, a raise and a union to represent us. Unions were put in place for a reason, they were not always around. Unions help people like us to fight for rights and fairness that we could never have done by ourselves.
Life is what you make it, we as providers cannot and will not sit back and allow the mistreatments that we are faced with, that is why steps are being taken for us to have a better future.Let me share some words a parent sent me in a card.
You're a special person who takes the time to share
And helps whenever needed with care beyond compare
Thank you for your kindness and all the things you do
The world's a better place because of people like you.
This made me feel like I have made a difference in the life of that parent and in order for me to do more I need to be living a happy and healthy life just like you.
Nicole Burrows
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Giving us the right to unionize and bargain collectively ensures that the parents involved in the "welfare to work" program have an opportunity to better themselves financially and contribute to society economically. This will aid the economy rather than drain it as your column suggest. I am a brooklyn childcare provider.
The services that we provide to the communities are invaluable. Most providers such as myself work anywhere from 50 hours per week or more. We have no sick days, no holiday pay, no health coverage, no vacations and no pension. We pay for supplies such as gloves, changing table paper, paper towels, bacterial hand soap, ice packs, first aid kits, books, crayons, toys, and occasionally for parents who can't afford them we provide pampers, wipes and ointments for diaper rashes. We often buy clothing for children especially during the winter months when the children don't have gloves, hats, and warm coats. We donate food to parents who are in between checks, and we work on holidays for those parents in the work program who must go to work. We do this repeatedly, because the needy is just that; needy. We are not compensated for providing these services. My question is rather or not the "social- services experts" that oppose the bill for us to unionize are aware of the work conditions we suffer. My concern also is that if these work conditions don't improve and childcare providers such as myself discontinue providing these much needed, underpaid childcare services who then will care for the tens of thousands of children currently receiving care. Many providers earn less than $19,000. per year which puts us slightly above the poverty line, what that means for us is that we can't afford any luxuries or amenities. We can't afford vacations, we can't afford to save for a "rainy" day because you simply can not save what you use to survive on. We provide early childhood training for the children. We are not overpaid "babysitters" we are underpaid "providers" who spend hours planning for lessons and programs to assist children in language, motor skills, socialization, and we help foster a sense of pride and self-confidence in the children. What we give to the community is the future generations and as we rear them into productive members of society they will one day contribute to the economic structure of our society. If we fail to support these children now by not improving childcare we are in essence tearing down our own future economy.
Tammie Miller
Come into our world, Mr. Ward.
Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Gladys Jones. I am an inhome childcare provider. One of the estimated 52,000 inhome childcare providers you said wanted to be state employees. I feel it is my duty to correct you on your outlook of our world of inhome childcare providers. Your article is offensive to me and anyone in my profession. We are not mindless boobs, that are bamboozled into being led as sheep to be slaughtered. Get it right Mr. Ward.
I am self-employed, hence making me a small business person. Have you read the bill that was introduced? Let me enlighten you with excerpts of our bill..........
12 Employer-employee negotiating unit when determining representation
13 Status. Home child daycare providers identified in this paragraph shall
14. Not, by virtue of such paragraph, be considered public employees of the
15 state of New York for any purpose other than this article.
How did you come to the conclusion of child daycare providers a woman or a man be under the classification of state employees? (Men do childcare as well) The majority rules. This proves that their is a great need for help in our industry, across the states, and even in other countries. Why do you think unionization has become the answer? We do not get the respect or recognition we need and deserve as your article shows. You have not a clue as to what we do what we go through. Who we are.
UFT- United Federation of Teachers/ACORN- Association of Community Organization for Reform Now........ Two powerful unions and do not forget to add reputable. This is the representation that I want and am proud to be part of.
UFT/ACORN is listening and helping us, what are you doing to improve the trials and tribulations that POOR familes, are facing?
The least you can do Mr. Ward, is to report on factual findings.
Ask us, that way you can report accurately and most importantly report with truth.
Print this, Mr. Robert Ward
WE WANT THE RIGHT TO UNIONIZED.....................SIGN THE BILL, PATAKI
SUPPORT US MR. WARD!
GLADYS JONES
UFT/ACORN UNION MEMBER