Frequently asked questions

How does a union work for family child care providers?
What improvements can we win?
What is the process for providers to form our union?
Will forming a union change the way I run my business?
Will our union be involved in politics?
How will dues work?
What does "exclusive representative" mean?
Will child care associations still represent providers?

How does a union work for small business owners like family child care providers?

A family child care home isn't a traditional workplace, where workers would form a union to negotiate with an employer. We providers own our businesses, and set our own rates and agreements with private pay families. Still, many of our working conditions, and often some part of our wages, are determined for us by the state, through licensing and subsidy programs. When providers join together in a union, we have a place at the table when the state makes decisions that affect us and the kids in our care.

What improvements can we win by joining together in a union?

SEIU Kids First Providers in Washington State ratified their first contract in December. They won:

Wage improvements. The subsidy rate for licensed providers will increase 10 percent over the two-year contract. A fairer rate structure for license-exempt care amounts to a 35 percent average increase for exempt providers.
Access to affordable health care. Providers secured a $5 million commitment from the state toward affordable health care for providers without health insurance.
Funding and incentives for additional training. Providers have access to a guaranteed funding pool to help get additional training, with additional rate increases available for providers who improve their skills.
Resolution of payment problems. Providers will no longer be required to repay subsidy reimbursements when a parent has qualified fraudulently. Safeguards are in place to ensure that providers are not penalized for the state agency’s payment mistakes.
A path to licensing for exempt providers. For the first time, license-exempt providers will have incentives to receive training and become licensed, if they choose. The thousands of children in their care will now be eligible to receive nutritious meals through the USDA Food Program.

Last April, SEIU Kids First providers in Illinois won the first ever contract for family child care. By working together through their union, they gained:

Wage improvements. To encourage providers to continue serving their communities, subsidy rates which began as low as $9.48 per day will increase an average of 35 percent over the three years of the contract. This was providers’ first reimbursement rate increase in six years.
Incentives for additional training in early education. On top of the 35 percent average increase, providers get up to 20 percent more for becoming more effective early educators and improving school readiness.
Access to affordable health care. The state has committed to a $27 million investment in funding in year three of the contract, which will be used to set up a health insurance plan to cover thousands of uninsured providers.

What is the process for providers to form our union?

Thousands of providers in Minnesota have signed cards saying they want to form a union with other providers. Currently, providers do not have the ability to seek union recognition and gain a voice to negotiate at the state level. SEIU Kids First providers are working together to achieve the legal right, and a fair process, for providers to assert our collective voice.

Will forming a union change the way I run my business?

Forming a union will give us more control over our businesses by giving us the ability to bargain with the state. We will have a voice in state decisions about child care, including licensing and regulations, and the ability to reach a binding contract governing our participation in the subsidy program. The state won’t be able to change things without involving us.

Will our union be involved in politics?

Our union will work to support child care providers, and to support our elected representatives who understand the importance of early education and want to help us deliver quality child care. Union members are always free to support any candidates they choose.

How will dues work?

Only providers who choose to join the union would pay dues. Union members decide together how much dues will be, and we contribute dues to build a strong organization. With a stronger voice, we can win more of the improvements we need to run our businesses and provide better care for our kids.

In Illinois, providers won a contract that raised subsidy reimbursement rates 11 percent immediately and 35 percent over the three-year contract. Their dues are only 2 percent of subsidy payments, plus a one-time $5 initiation fee. One provider in Southern Illinois worked out that over the three-year contract, she would receive $27,000 in higher wages and pay only $600 in union dues.

All providers benefit from the improvements in a union contract—not just those who join the union. And unions are legally required to represent non-members and members equally. Providers could negotiate with the state for a “fair share” clause in our contract, which means non-member providers who benefit from subsidy rate increases would pay a small percentage, less than union dues, to offset the cost of serving non-members. A "fair share" fee protects the rights of non-members while ensuring our union has the resources to represent everyone effectively.

Dues and “fair share” amounts would be based only on subsidy reimbursements, not grants. Providers who do not earn compensation from the state will never be required to contribute to the cost of union representation.

We’ll have to vote on our contract before it goes into effect. If we haven’t won a contract that improves our profession and makes it easier to stay in business, we won’t approve it.

What does "exclusive representative" mean?

When providers join together and form a union, we want our state and county to officially recognize our union so we can bargain together for improvements. Because our union is our “exclusive representative” for that purpose, our state, county or employer can’t make side deals with individuals or other organizations to treat them differently. If they want to change something we won through bargaining, they have to negotiate it with us through our union.

That doesn’t mean individual providers can’t represent ourselves when we talk to our elected officials, and it doesn’t mean we can’t be part of other providers organizations like associations, who represent us for other purposes. We can still lobby and propose legislation on our own or through an association. As every union card says, our union is only our “exclusive representative” for the purpose of collective bargaining.

Will child care associations still be able to represent providers?

Child care associations are a crucial support to family child care providers, building strong networks for providers, parents, and communities, and giving us the experience and leadership training we need to be advocates for quality child care.

Associations in other states have joined forces with family providers’ unions to stop discriminatory zoning restrictions, sort out payment errors that affected thousands of providers, improve training opportunities, raise reimbursement rates, and win affordable health care. Forming a union will give associations more strength to make child care a more stable profession for providers and an even better place for our kids—and through our union, we can win a binding contract that guarantees the economic gains we’ve won can’t be taken away.