In what could be one of labor's biggest wins in years, 49,000 child care workers in Illinois are voting to affiliate with Service Employees Local 880, AFSCME District Council 31, or no union at all. Results will be released April 7.
Both unions got a chance to campaign for the workers after Gov. Rod Blagejovich signed an executive order earlier this year saying the workers can organize and bargain collectively.
The campaign is notable because both SEIU and AFSCME have won large campaigns among child care and home care workers in recent years, after convincing state legislatures to let counties and cities establish agencies that then became employers.
Before that, with no employers of record, the workers--often low-paid and with no benefits--were "independent contractors" and thus could not organize under labor law.
It's also notable because each union says the other intrudes on its jurisdiction. They took their dispute to the AFL-CIO Executive Council meeting in Las Vegas. There was no solution.
Meanwhile, the workers themselves have a chance to decide which union could do a better job for them. The workers care for approximately 202,000 kids and are reimbursed by the state, the Illinois Labor Relations Board says. ILRB oversees the vote.
This article was written by Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.
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In what could be one of labor’s biggest wins in years, 49,000 child care workers in Illinois are voting to affiliate with Service Employees Local 880, AFSCME District Council 31, or no union at all. Results will be released April 7.
Both unions got a chance to campaign for the workers after Gov. Rod Blagejovich signed an executive order earlier this year saying the workers can organize and bargain collectively.
The campaign is notable because both SEIU and AFSCME have won large campaigns among child care and home care workers in recent years, after convincing state legislatures to let counties and cities establish agencies that then became employers.
Before that, with no employers of record, the workers–often low-paid and with no benefits–were “independent contractors” and thus could not organize under labor law.
It’s also notable because each union says the other intrudes on its jurisdiction. They took their dispute to the AFL-CIO Executive Council meeting in Las Vegas. There was no solution.
Meanwhile, the workers themselves have a chance to decide which union could do a better job for them. The workers care for approximately 202,000 kids and are reimbursed by the state, the Illinois Labor Relations Board says. ILRB oversees the vote.
This article was written by Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.