Child care workers criticize 'scare tactics' of Republicans

Child care workers who support a union-organizing drive said Thursday that the state's providers are being subjected to "scare tactics" by Republican opponents of the union effort.

At a news conference organized by AFSCME, one of the unions trying to organize in-home providers, Clarissa Johnston of Mounds View and Robert Ellis of St. Paul said letters from Republican opponents to providers have misstated the union effort.

"These politicians, I think, deserve a time out," said Johnston, speaking at the home where she cares for eight children aged 4 and under.

She and the union cited a letter from Rep. Torrey Westrom, R-Elbow Lake, that a provider in his district received. He said while only some providers would get to vote whether to join a union, all would eventually be forced to pay dues and would be subject to "additional regulation."

Johnston and the union said Gov. Mark Dayton's executive order authorizing the union election clearly states that "nothing in this order shall be construed to require participation, or the involuntary payment of dues by any family child care provider."

"Republican legislators are spreading lies to scare and bully us not to vote for a union," said Johnston. At the same time, she said, they have cut child-care subsidy programs and grants for improving care.

As to the question of dues or fair-share payments by non-members, Johnston said: "Nobody's going to be forced to pay a dime." She spoke in her living room as four children played quietly with blocks, cars and leggos.

"In the same way that Republicans are choosing to stand in the way of Americans' voting rights, they also want to stand in the way of the American people's rights to organize through unions," he said. "It's part of their political agenda."

Westrom responded that he should have written in his letter that all providers "may be" required to pay dues, rather than "will be." But he said the issue is unclear, and he called on union officials to commit themselves on that point. "I welcome them to refute, that all of them (providers) will not be compelled to ever have to pay dues without joining," he said.

After a lengthy unionization drive, Dayton issued an executive order that set a unionization election for those providers who are registered to accept children receiving state subsidies -- about 4,300 of 11,000 total. Union opponents went to court, and a Ramsey County District judge has temporarily blocked the election. Further arguments are scheduled for next month, and the issue will likely be a topic of debate during the Legislative session beginning Jan. 24,