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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Bargaining plan becomes a study

Action a blow to child care workers wanting to unionize

Richard Roesler Staff writer

OLYMPIA – In a stunning setback for child care workers wanting to unionize, a bill to allow them to collectively bargain with the state for better rates was gutted Monday night when lawmakers changed the proposal into an 18-month study.

“Was it a surprise? Yeah,” said state Sen. Chris Marr, D-Spokane, who’d sponsored an earlier version of the plan. The bill has been closely watched in recent weeks by Spokane-area child care providers, who are divided on whether it’s a good idea.

House Bill 1329, which had already been approved by the House, would allow child care providers and workers to unionize and collectively bargain the fees for state-subsidized children. Many child care providers say they lose money on those kids now because of low state rates.

The change is strongly supported by the Service Employees International Union, which says that higher rates are key to professionalize an industry plagued by low pay, high turnover and a lack of training and career opportunities.

Many lawmakers agree that the state rates are too low. Some, like Marr, say that the answer is to let the workers join together and with the added clout of a union push the Legislature for better rates.

Others, like state Sen. Brian Hatfield, D-Raymond, say the best answer is for Olympia to do the right thing and raise the rates. Hatfield proposed a bill this session that would have increased state rates by millions of dollars immediately.

Critics were also uncomfortable with a provision of the bill that would have taken union dues directly out of the state’s subsidy payments, instead of directly from workers.

“We don’t need to basically hire a union to do this for us,” said Hatfield.

Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, said an organized work force would mean better conditions for caregivers and children. She said they’d be “on a stronger footing” when lobbying lawmakers for better rates.

And at a time when many other people – nurses, teachers, garbage collectors, bus drivers – have joined together to bargain collectively, Brown said, it’s time for the people who care for the youngest, most vulnerable Washingtonians do the same.

The bill seemed cleared for takeoff Monday night. But in a surprise move, a dozen mostly conservative Democrats joined with every Republican lawmaker to pass Hatfield’s plan to study the measure further.

Monday’s vote was yet another blow to organized labor this session. Unions, including SEIU, have tried for months to persuade lawmakers to push ahead with a tax increase to offset budget cuts. And labor’s top priority this session, a bill to bar employers from requiring attendance at anti-unionization meetings, was torpedoed by top lawmakers over a union memo suggestion that labor would withhold campaign support.