Column: Joe Hoppe, Guest Column

The recent decision by Gov. Mark Dayton to hold an election calling for the unionization of licensed, in-home child care providers is troubling and problematic. Dayton said a vote was the most fair and American way to resolve the dispute of whether to form a union. But in reviewing the election, nothing about it is fair.

Only those who receive state subsidy payments, about 4,300 providers, are eligible to vote. This means nearly 7,000 licensed in-home child care providers have no vote and no voice in an election that will certainly affect them and the children they care for if a union is formed.

The Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association has asked Gov. Mark Dayton to retract and revise his executive order to allow all 11,000 providers to participate in this election. Many child care providers along with Republicans and Democrats in the Minnesota Legislature have raised similar concerns. Despite these concerns, Dayton has said he will not change his executive order and will allow the election to proceed with only one-third of providers having the right to vote. This is hardly fair.

The Minnesota House Commerce Committee held two legislative hearings on this important manner. At a hearing in Rochester, before the executive order was issued, representatives of the unions failed to answer basic questions about the election, dues, role of the union and affects on providers and the working parents who entrust them with the care of their children. When given the opportunity to again testify before the committee after the executive order was issued, the unions declined to participate. These questions remain unanswered.

Even the Bureau of Mediation Services, a state agency that will conduct the election, acknowledged this election is different from elections they typically conduct. They committed to do the “best they can” to follow procedures.

The best they can is not good enough. Licensed child care providers deserve more than vague responses to questions. More importantly, they all deserve the right to vote. Dayton disagrees.

The election will be held in just a few short weeks. Licensed child care providers who accept state subsidies and have had a family enrolled at least once during the past year will be mailed a ballot to return during Dec. 7-20. The nearly 7,000 providers who do not meet the criteria as established by Dayton and the unions are forced to sit on the sidelines and wait for the outcome. Joining them will be the working parents who also have no say in an election that could affect not only the rate they pay but also access to child care providers and the type of care they provide.

An aggressive election campaign by the unions is under way. Some providers are reporting inaccurate information from the unions in their push to takeover childcare including the threat of losing all subsidies. The use of misleading information is an unfortunate chapter in political elections. It has no place when it comes to the care of children.

Child care is a personal decision that should be based on what parents feel will be best for their children. It is extremely unfortunate that Gov. Mark Dayton and the unions have politicized child care, subjecting providers, parents and most importantly children to uncertainty and political processes without truly answering how it will improve the lives of children.

 

District 34B Rep. Joe Hoppe, R-Chaska, serves as the chairman of the House Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee.