AFT attempting to organize child care workers in Vermont

(I’m promoting this back to the top again because I think it’s an important enough issue that it warrants further discussion. – promoted by JulieWaters)

I want to start this with a disclaimer.  Some time ago, I was part of a union drive that was organized by AFT that was a bit of an unmitigated disaster.  It is difficult for me to be objective, but I didn’t want to just post this without acknowledging prior involvement with the group.

With that in mind, I’ve just heard that they are attempting to organize child care workers in Vermont and want to wholeheartedly endorse this effort.  As some of you know, I spent several years doing training and technology support for early childhood educators, and working with their resource and referral agencies throughout the state of Vermont.  During that time, I worked with hundreds of people and learned a lot about how valuable their services are to the people of Vermont and how important it is that people go into the field, despite the long hours, low wages and generally being treated not particularly well.  

With budget cuts and layoffs at the state level (as well as with some of the local support agencies), resources are being stretched thin.  Many Early Childhood Educators have local network groups which can help provide support for one another, but the power of an organized, unionized, front is of immense value.

Having an organized entity looking out for the interest of child care providers in Vermont has potential to:


  1. allow them to respond with force to attempts on the part of the state of Vermont to limit their benefits without due process;

  2. give them access to group rates for multiple forms of insurance;

  3. give them a solid voice to address concerns with a system which may not be looking out for their interest;

  4. give them access to lobby legislators for stronger support of their work and clients.

I don’t know if AFT can pull this off in Vermont.  They need to use organizers who know the population and respect the work they do.  It’s not the same as organizing in other regions or with other professions.  Many child care workers work in isolation from one another and those who work with networks may perceive this as an attempt to undermine their own organizing efforts.  If this drive, however, uses the right approaches, finding good and productive ways to work with the local networks, focuses on local organizing (as opposed to relying on people from out of state to do their organizing work), it’s got real potential to turn into something of great value.

13 thoughts on “AFT attempting to organize child care workers in Vermont

  1. …how little attention- in general- labor issues get here on GMD.  

    No comments?  Really?  This will be a major, ground-breaking effort that not only effects the hundreds of child care providers in the state (I used to be one of them) but, in the end, all working families who rely on third party care; to say nothing of the countless children whose lives will be shaped by their early life experiences at the hands of care providers.

    That said, apparently it’s now necessary to note that, despite whatever my independent political opinions, I must disclose that my partner works for AFT.

  2. They have many of the same responsibilities as educators and healthcare providers, but lack the public profile and organizational vehicle to advocate for their own needs and to elevate the standards of the industry.  Association with AFT could contribute to the welfare of the children who come under their car as well as that of the childcare workers themselves.

  3. the labor market cannot function without child care; most businesses take it for granted and collectively contribute about 1% of the total cost of child care (national figure from a few years back)

    in truth, these workers have more power than they know; unfortunately, the only way to exercise such power is to inconvenience parents who would probably react poorly to job actions; and of course most parents are maxed out financially so they can’t afford to pay more to ensure better trained and better paid workers

    in the end, child care is no less a societal issue than K-12 education and should be funded by everyone — including all the businesses who could not exist without it

  4. Absolutely yes.

    But should child care be viewed as the best possible social answer to how kids are raised in their earliest years?

    Absolutely no.

    What is really needed the most in the arena or early childhood is strong families that can commit one of more adults to the day to day raising/affairs of the child. Give a young child a cardboard box, some crayons, a bunch of paper and an attentive and talkative adult, and you’ll get a child that develops as well or better than the same child under the tutelage of a highly trained professional.

    How can we achieve this?

    By no longer accepting the radical Republican/Democratic led notion that we can’t go back to high tax brackets for the wealthiest among us. Our now-disappearing middle class was built on the premise that the once growing middle class helped make the rich rich, and as such deserved some payback for the effort.

    And we had a class of people that earned enough to get by, take a vacation, get medical attention, educate their kids and retire with some social and financial dignity all the while maintaining a home front that could provide a family adult for the raising of the youngest children.

    This unionization drive is a positive, but in my opinion it should only be viewed as a stop gap. Government run child rearing, even when made necessary by government’s own fiscal actions, is not a desirable thing.

    Which leads to a question: will the union (if it should come to pass) be willing to fight for an economy that strengthens the position of families even if it means the demise of that union?

  5. Please add home health aides the the list of ripe for organizing. The industry has been abusing employees for decades. As Vermont ages more, the service of these workers will be needed more and more.

    I hope whoever is running the AFT drive will begin a blog site and a website devoted to the drive. Would love to watch it evolve and come to fruition. Good luck!

Comments are closed.