At least a couple hundred early childhood education and care professionals are descending on the Statehouse today in support of H.97, which would empower them to form a non-traditional union to negotiate directly with the state on early care and education policy (such as subsidies, regulations, etc). Despite the fact that it seems like the bill should be a fairly straightforward act of fairness, there is some opposition to it.
So the message is positive, but there’s also some pushing back on the phony opposition claims in circulation about this bill, the biggest whopper of which is this idea that the bill would make early educators into public employees (as if the thousands of small business owners promoting this legislation would get behind that, good lord – if you’re gonna make something up about the bill, at least make something up that’s plausible). This legislation does one thing and one thing only; creates a structure that would allow early educators to organize if they choose to. It’s all about options, and about trusting professional people to have a say in their own destiny.
Here are some snippets from the greeting in Room 11 from Governor Shumlin and Speaker Smith, both of whom have been outspoken in their support of this effort (Once again, full disclosure: I’m doing some professional consulting on this effort).
UPDATE: Okay, so I was too busy to do much blogging, but I got tons of video which I’ll get out over the next couple days… after the flip is Senator Diane Snelling (R-Chittenden) speaking at the press conference in favor of the bill.
that not only has “government” become code for “The Evil Empire”, but “public employee” is the worst pejorative one can use against a working man or woman; and the last resort of anyone lacking a legitimate argument.
Apparently, in a perfect, Republican-run world, a team of volunteer road-fairies will maintain the highways and bridges of America.
Who will next fall under suspicion for being nothing more than a burden on the taxpayers? How about the military? Now that is one hell of a big pool of “public employees!”
What’s the next step after voluntary union membership? Well, for K-12 teachers, it was unlimited agency fees legally negotiated into contracts. Now we have H.239, a bill sponsored by Rep. Kesha Ram, that will make mandatory agency fees for all public sector employees, including K-12 teachers.
So, in a climate where NOBODY’S getting any raises, teachers should pay their fair share (commonly 80 percent of dues) of what it costs to negotiate a contract without a raise.
John, do you have any video of the testimony from the afternoon?