Senate Democrats Passed Measure to Unionize Child Care Providing Grandparents

Action Will Increase Deficit Spending by $60 Million Each Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, March 12, 2008
CONTACT: Nghia Nguyen Demovic @ 916.651.4001

Sacramento, CA - In a year when the State of California is facing a budget deficit of $16 billion, Senate Democrats in the Legislature rushed to pass a measure to allow for the unionization of child care workers.  Without policy or fiscal committee review, the Senate passed SB 867 by Senator Gil Cedillo of Los Angeles along party lines at its Monday meeting.

“It is irresponsible for the Senate to pass a measure that will cost the state an estimated $60 million at a time when the state has no money,” said Senator Dave Cox, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee – a committee whose members are in charge of reviewing proposed bills that require state funding.  “This bill should have had a hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.”

“Think about this for a moment: Increasing the cost of subsidized child care in a state with a $16 billion deficit will cause the state to pay more for less service.  Unionized child care workers will receive higher payments forcing the state to fund fewer child care placements. The bottom line is that the state will be spending millions more for fewer services to families,” Cox added.

Through a program called CALWORKS, family members are paid by the state to take care of their children while the parent(s) work or receive training to become less dependent on welfare.

SB 867 will allow licensed “family child care providers to form, join and participate in ‘provider organizations,’” which is another word for unions. The stated purpose for this bill is to ensure higher quality day care through increased pay and state funded benefits for child care workers.

SB 867 further allows a union that becomes the representative of all family child care providers to charge “fair share” fees to all child care providers.

Even if a grandparent or aunt or uncle objected to unionizing, they could still be subjected to paying union dues.

The Legislature's fiscal experts estimate that the cost of this proposal would be $60 million each year.

Governor Schwarzenegger will determine the fate of this bill later this year.  He has vetoed similar bills twice.

“As Democratic leaders attend press conference after press conference lamenting proposed reductions in education, healthcare and public safety spending, you have to wonder how they conclude that spending $60 million to unionize child care providers makes sense,” Cox stated.

Senator Dave Cox represents the residents of the First Senate District, which includes all or portions of Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lassen, Placer, Plumas, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Sacramento and Sierra Counties.  Contact his office at 916-651-4001, or via email at senator.cox@sen.ca.gov.