WSCC on SB 1329

Substitute House Bill (SHB) 1329 is a highly controversial bill that would provide collective bargaining for child care center directors and workers. The bill covers pre-school programs as well as before and after school programs. The stated purpose of the bill is “to improve the quality of child care for the state’s families”. The bill creates a new type of collective bargaining – one in which both management and workers, represented by the union, sit on the same side of the bargaining table. The state sits on the other side. Bargaining would be only for the state’s funding of subsidized families whose children are in child care.

History of the legislation:
In 2009 the Washington State House of Representatives passed SHB 1329, the Senate than amended it and passed it also. The House would not accept the Senate’s amendments, so there was no final bill sent to the Governor.

In 2010 the bill has again passed the House. It will be heard in a Senate committee on Thursday, February 18^th. An amended version will be heard at that time. Information can be found at: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summ...1329&year=2009

Supporting Position:
The current subsidized payments are less than one-half of the cost of providing care. Increased funding is essential to enhance child care learning, and can only be achieved by unionization.

Opposing Position:
The bill turns private sector employees into public ones. This could add up to millions of dollars that would go to the unions, instead of directly funding the child care subsidy costs.

WSCC Position:
Based on our Catholic Social Teaching we support workers having the right to organize. However, this bill does not allow workers to choose whether they want to join a union that would bargain with the State. Rather the proposed substitute bill allows the owner or director to make the decision to “opt in” to the bargaining relationship. Workers do, however, retain the right to join a union and engage in traditional collective bargaining with their employer.

There are provisions that exempt some child care centers from the bill, but these are unclear.

The bill only requires bargaining over the manner and rate of subsidy and reimbursement. Even though the negotiations are about state funding the legislature does not play a role, other than accepting or rejecting the total negotiated agreement with the Governor.

SHB 1329 designates funding for the subsidy rates, of which the unions get a portion. WSCC has long supported increasing child care subsidies, and believes that the subsidies could be greater if they went directly for the child care.

WSCC has grave concerns about SHB 1329 at this time, and does not support the bill.

Action: Contact your Senator and ask him/her not to support SHB 1329.