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Passion flows, pro and con, at Capitol over day care workers unionizing
pioneer press ^ | 9-22-11 | billy salisbiry

Posted on 09/23/2011 5:25:20 AM PDT by WOBBLY BOB

I've never seen this much attention given to child care," Clarissa Johnston, a 24-year home day care provider, told a Minnesota Senate committee hearing Thursday night.

The reason for the attention was the possibility that Minnesota's 11,000 in-home child care providers might be unionized.

The providers who testified were deeply divided over the issue. During the three-hour hearing, they argued passionately for and against being organized into labor alliances.

Proponents contended that forming a union would enable them to negotiate the state rules and regulations that govern their operations and affect their wages, benefits and working conditions.

"Recognize our right to stand up for ourselves," Lisa Thompson, a licensed family child care provider from St. Paul, implored the legislators.

Johnston said the only reason some lawmakers were interested in child care is because they oppose unions. "This is a defining moment for us. If the union goes away, our 15 minutes of fame will fade," she predicted.

(Excerpt) Read more at twincities.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: cardcheck; daycare; dayton; marxdayton; mn; seiu; union; unions
comments allowed at newspaper site...;)
1 posted on 09/23/2011 5:25:24 AM PDT by WOBBLY BOB
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To: WOBBLY BOB

Soon to price themselves right out of jobs...


2 posted on 09/23/2011 5:31:14 AM PDT by Kozak ("It's not an Election it's a Restraining Order" .....PJ O'Rourke)
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To: WOBBLY BOB

Control who gets daycare, and in many cases you will control who has jobs.


3 posted on 09/23/2011 5:34:38 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: WOBBLY BOB

when are congressional staffers going to unionize?

oh, wait...


4 posted on 09/23/2011 5:43:18 AM PDT by silverleaf (Common sense is not so common - Voltaire)
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To: WOBBLY BOB

How about giving the PEOPLE the choice? Those who want to give their money to union bosses, charge double what they charge now but give it all away in exchange for joining the thugs, can. Those who want to be left alone can choose that? Honestly, the tangles the govt/ libbies are trying to weave in our private lives are just too much.

“Without justice what else is the State but a great band of robbers?” St. Augustine was so right.


5 posted on 09/23/2011 5:44:19 AM PDT by bboop (Without justice, what else is the State but a great band of robbers?)
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To: WOBBLY BOB

“Recognize our right to stand up for ourselves,” Lisa Thompson, a licensed family child care provider from St. Paul”

Hmm. What do you call a family child care provider who can’t stand up for herself on her working conditions and wages? Maybe a dumb twit?

Whatever happened to “my house, my business, my rules”?


6 posted on 09/23/2011 5:46:45 AM PDT by silverleaf (Common sense is not so common - Voltaire)
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To: Kozak

LOL, exactly right and the child care individuals are simply to stupid to see that.

Baby sitters are hardly a necessity and many crative ways will be used to care for children such as neighbors getting together to sit each others kids when necessary.


7 posted on 09/23/2011 5:50:25 AM PDT by 101voodoo
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To: Kozak

LOL, exactly right and the child care individuals are simply to stupid to see that.

Baby sitters are hardly a necessity and many creative ways will be used to care for children such as neighbors getting together to sit each others kids when necessary.


8 posted on 09/23/2011 5:50:36 AM PDT by 101voodoo
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To: silverleaf
Maybe a dumb twit?

*********************************************************

Is this a typo? :-)

9 posted on 09/23/2011 5:52:58 AM PDT by 101voodoo
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To: WOBBLY BOB

interesting to note that the providers who support unionization (and are perfectly free to go out and join a union if they like) seem intent on dragging the others along kicking and screaming.


10 posted on 09/23/2011 6:00:04 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: 101voodoo

oooh, you bad, mist’ rhett


11 posted on 09/23/2011 6:03:41 AM PDT by silverleaf (Common sense is not so common - Voltaire)
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To: 101voodoo

The stupidity of this is phenomenal. A lot of times the second job in a family is marginally economically viable when you take into account the costs of childcare, transportation, meals, clothing and taxes. If people sit down and make a rational decision and take into account all factors including the well being of their kids, a LOT of daycare demand will disappear with even marginal increases in cost. Single parents will of course have less options. The idea of a union daycare worker watching some single moms kid as she goes off to work at a low paying McJob is not sustainable either.


12 posted on 09/23/2011 6:06:26 AM PDT by Kozak ("It's not an Election it's a Restraining Order" .....PJ O'Rourke)
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To: 101voodoo

Baby sitters & child care workers are two sides of a coin.

Babysitting is done at random intervals & for random reasons & time lengths when parents want to have time alone or have to attend an event which might not be proper for kids to be there.

Child care is 5 or more days a week for parents who are working full time or part time. Secure Child care is necessary for them to hold their jobs & know their kids are in a comfortable environment.


13 posted on 09/23/2011 6:33:23 AM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: 101voodoo
Baby sitters are hardly a necessity and many creative ways will be used to care for children such as neighbors getting together to sit each others kids when necessary.

Happening already.

Mrs WBill works peripherally in the industry. She said that, locally at least, there have been a number of Day Care closings. They just don't have the numbers to stay in business.

I'm also hearing the same thing at work. Grandma or some other relative sits with the kids 1/2 days because one parent or the other have had their hours cut, and so on.

Fortunately, I live in a right to work state. Unionization of Child Care Providers is pretty low on my worry list. That, and Mrs Wbill stays home. :-)

14 posted on 09/23/2011 6:33:23 AM PDT by wbill
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To: Kozak
A lot of times the second job in a family is marginally economically viable

You know this, and I know this, but many others don't have a clue.

Sez me, why work at a $10-$15/hour job, if I'm going to pay 1/2 my salary to the government and the rest to a day care, right out of the box? It's stupid. Quit and enjoy the kids, they're not young forever.

But, I see it at work every day. Lots of the women (and some of the men) think that they're getting their self esteem from working everyday at a meaningless 9-5 cubicle job. Really, really foolish.

Mrs WBill and I sat down and ran the numbers. At the salary she'd command, she'd be taking home less than 15 cents out of every dollar she made. She said "This is stupid." and dropped out of the workforce. (she *has* wound up with a parttime job, more just for fun and to get her out of the house than anything else) Didn't change our lives all that much - we've given up big-ticket vacations and eating out, that's all.

15 posted on 09/23/2011 6:46:19 AM PDT by wbill
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To: Buckeye McFrog
interesting to note that the providers who support unionization (and are perfectly free to go out and join a union if they like) seem intent on dragging the others along kicking and screaming.

The whole point of unionization is to restrict competition and raise labor prices.

16 posted on 09/23/2011 6:51:52 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (When you've only heard lies your entire life, the truth sounds insane.)
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To: wbill
Mrs WBill and I sat down and ran the numbers. At the salary she'd command, she'd be taking home less than 15 cents out of every dollar she made. She said "This is stupid." and dropped out of the workforce. (she *has* wound up with a parttime job, more just for fun and to get her out of the house than anything else) Didn't change our lives all that much - we've given up big-ticket vacations and eating out, that's all.

In many cases, rather than the wife taking a job, it makes more sense for the husband to work some overtime and for the wife to do herself some of the things that she would expect her husband to do around the house.

17 posted on 09/23/2011 7:14:23 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (When you've only heard lies your entire life, the truth sounds insane.)
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To: PapaBear3625
That's approximately what we wound up doing.

That, and Mrs Wbill realizes that money *not spent* is even more valuable than money earned. She's a fiend for hitting consignment sales, clipping coupons, cooking instead of eating out, etc etc etc.

One of the girls at work was bragging that she found "Four outfits for her little girl on sale for 100 bucks!!!". I kept my mouth shut....my wife had just outfitted the kids' entire winter wardrobe for less than that at a church consignment sale. Good stuff too....most of the clothes still had the tags on them.

18 posted on 09/23/2011 7:26:10 AM PDT by wbill
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To: wbill

Somewhat the same with us. After totaling up day care, work related expenses and her effective tax rate my wife realized she was essentially working for nothing at a job that was increasingly unsatisfying. So she resigned. Obviously our gross income took a hit, but net income actually increased a bit.


19 posted on 09/23/2011 8:10:43 AM PDT by ken in texas (Can't Afford a Tagline... send money.)
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