Child Care Tentative Agreement 8/21/09

Tentative Agreement for a new Child Care Contract
CONGRATULATIONS to ALL Child Care Providers in Oregon!

After eight months of bargaining that began amid threats of devastating cuts to the Child Care program, our bargaining team has reached a tentative agreement with the State that protects our rates, strengthens our union, and overall improves Oregon’s child care system.

Highlights of the contract include:
• Health Care: Governor Ted Kulongoski’s support for an SEIU-administered health insurance plan for child care workers funded under the state’s Family Health Insurance Assistance Program starting in 2010.

• Rates : No cuts to our provider rates! Maintaining rates at current levels in light of the economic crisis is crucial to retaining dependable providers who care for low-income children in safe reliable homes and is a real victory in these economic times;

• Training: Continued funding for our SEIU Child Care Training Fund throughout the ’09-11 biennium. These funds will also continue the current $12/hour training stipend and facilitate provider access to scores of trainings and the State Enhanced Rate. (Enhanced Rate increase rates by 7%)

• Orientations : Mandatory paid orientations for new child care providers that include a thirty minute union presentations –This will significantly increase our ability to build our membership and strengthen CAPE –our political program. On a broader note, this win will increase new child care workers’ understanding of how the DHS child care subsidy programs operates.

• Grievance Procedure: Strengthens our previous contract by setting in place a grievance procedure with steps and timelines for resolving grievances. The State originally wanted to give the State Employment Relations Board (ERB) discretion to refuse new cases when they reach an arbitrary workload threshold, but now agrees that ERB will hear all unresolved issues concerning a violation of the Union contract;

Next Steps? You Decide! Our Child Care Bargaining Team unanimously recommends ratification of the agreement. You must be a member to vote. If you need a membership application, please contact your organizer or call the SEIU office at 1-800-452-2146.

SEIU Child Care Bargaining Team:
Portia Moye –Chair
Vicky Allen –The Dalles
Rhonda Thacker –Drain
Crystal Schexnayder Hillsboro
Janet Ginther-Storer –Redmond
Hilda Chavez –Forest Grove
Wanda Mae Winne Portland
Molly Stafford –Roseburg
Gary Ghelli -Monmouth
Sharon Kerney –Portland
Delores Mays –Portland
Sylvia Pharr –Portland