A pair of local child care workers are suing the state over their mandatory inclusion into a union. Following a December 2008 notification letter from the state, child care workers began paying union dues to the Child Care Providers Together Michigan, an arm under the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and United Auto Workers, because they receive subsidy checks from the Michigan Department of Human Services for caring for children of low income families... It is estimated the union draws $3.7 million annually from the state checks, although both Loar and Ives said it amounts to less than 30 cents out of their checks from the state. "That money should be going to the kids," Loar said. Patrick Wright, an attorney and senior legal analyst with the Mackinaw Center, of Midland, is working for Loar and Ives pro-bono... "Expanding the pool of public employees can only be done by the legislature." The union, which includes 40,000 home-based day care providers, was created after more than 5,000 members voted for it and fewer than 500 voted against it. Both Loar and Ives said they never received ballots. The union's creation followed an inter-local agreement between DHS and Mott Community College that first established the Michigan Home Based Child Care Council. Elizabeth Jordan, the executive director, is one of only two paid employees in the council and said she does not have any details about the union. "We have a collective bargaining agreement to work with the union," she said. "The dues are deducted by DHS through the council to the union. We just stand here, hold it and pass it on. We have no control over how much it is or where it comes from."Interesting that a community college is involved, that there was a bogus ballot (surprise surprise), that there's *already* a collective bargaining agreement, etc...
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