Bill on unionizing in-home care workers to be in committee Wednesday

The attempt to allow in-home care workers to unionize will return to the Senate Finance Committee this week.

The committee, which defeated the bill on an 11-11 tie on Monday, has scheduled the same bill for Wednesday's meeting.

Sponsored by Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St.Paul, the bill calls for a vote to determine if certain in-home child care providers and in-home personal care attendants want to join unions. The bill is a major goal of two large unions, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU.)

Pappas has called the defeat a "setback" and said she believes the bill can be moved to the Senate floor without a recommendation that it pass. But opponents question whether the bill can survive a vote of the full Senate.