Dear Neighbor,
Child care providers have overwhelmingly voted down unionizing their industry and the results are both satisfying and eye-opening.
The lopsidedness of the vote – 1,014 against, 392 in favor – speaks volumes about how the providers themselves feel about what seemed like a top-down push to unionize an industry that hadn't been asking for it.
This is especially telling if you consider the election appeared to be stacked in favor of passage for the union. First of all, legislation which the DFL passed in 2013 only allowed providers who receive state assistance for a child in their care to vote. Reports indicate just 2,348 ballots were sent out, excluding many of the 10,000 or so providers in our state from participating in the election. Furthermore, the union proposal only needed more than 50 percent of the ballots returned to be "yes" votes in order to pass – not 50 percent from the total issued.
This union proposal had the least amount of support I can remember for something of this size and scope during my time in the Legislature. It didn't make much sense from the day the governor unilaterally called for a vote a few years ago and the credibility of this process has been called into question time and time again.
It is good to see common sense and the will of the people prevailed. Who knows if and when the unions will revisit this subject, but the resounding defeat providers handed it should provide a pretty loud-and-clear message regarding their position on the matter.
Sincerely,
Paul