AFSCME Council 5

MEDIA ADVISORY Contacts: Jennifer Lovaasen, AFSCME Council 5

December 13, 2005 651-287-0575 work / 651-357-8544 cell

Mary Theurer, AFSCME Council 5

218-722-0577 work / 218-340-8561 cell

UNION AND COUNTY PARTNER TO IMPROVE CHILD CARE

Significant improvements are on the way for home-based child care as part of a ground-breaking partnership between a union and county government.

St. Louis County took a bold step forward when commissioners voted December 13 to partner with a union of providers to improve child care. It’s a powerful partnership with 420 licensed providers in St. Louis County who are represented by Council 5 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

“For decades our union has teamed up with county governments to improve service delivery,” said Eliot Seide, executive director of AFSCME Council 5. “Our newest partnership will lead the way to improved child care. I applaud St. Louis County for its commitment and leadership.”

The union will give providers a unified voice regarding regulations, training opportunities, pay and benefits. The county regulates child care and will work with providers through their union to ensure that its license is a sign of quality.

Like child care providers in the Duluth and Iron Range areas, a majority of Minnesota’s 14,000 licensed providers have signed cards saying they would like to join a union. They envision acting together to improve child care for families and providers alike.

“This is a first – child care providers in our state haven’t had union representation until now,” said Donna Thompson, a Duluth child care provider. “We’re isolated, we work long hours for low pay, and we don’t have time to lobby lawmakers on issues that affect us. Our new union will give us a unified voice and clout at the Capitol.”

Both providers and consumers share concerns about deep funding cuts and low salaries. In Minnesota, $140 million in childcare cuts has hurt prospects for higher pay and quality child care.

Licensed providers statewide earn only $2.83 an hour on average, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The cost of quality will be higher salaries to attract more qualified caregivers.

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Quality Child Care / Page 2 of 2

Nearly 10,000 families have lost child care assistance due to recent cuts in subsidies established by the state. This has forced many parents to quit their jobs to take care of their children at home. Together the union and county will try to reverse this trend by raising awareness about the value of child care as a proven, cost-effective investment.

There is a direct link between quality child care and success in school and later in life. In fact, every dollar spent on early childhood education yields $13 in public benefits, according to a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

Because counties regulate child care, it makes sense for them to partner with a union of providers to improve it. More than half of the 860 providers in Ramsey County have already signed up to join AFSCME and they await a partnership vote by county commissioners. A union drive is also underway for Hennepin County’s 1,400 providers.

“I urge other counties to welcome our union like St. Louis County did,” said Judy Massey, a St. Paul child care provider and chair of Ramsey County Child Care Providers Together/AFSCME. “There’s an urgent need for us to start working together to improve child care.”

Partnerships with metro counties have been stalled by the Service Employees International Union, which is competing with AFSCME for membership of child care providers.

AFSCME is the only union with a division founded by and for family child care providers. Today, Child Care Providers Together/AFSCME works with 150,000 family child care providers nationwide to deliver training opportunities, higher pay and better benefits.

The union has made an ongoing commitment to help working families with their child care needs. AFSCME lobbies for increased funding for child care and for tougher regulations to ensure safe and stimulating care. It has won family-friendly programs through contract negotiations, advocacy and public education.

AFSCME Council 5 provides one strong unified voice for 40,000 public and non-profit employees in Minnesota. Child Care Providers Together/AFSCME is a union of 150,000 child care providers nationwide.

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