Ohio Governor Ted Strickland signed a ground breaking contract Ohio Council 8 January 6, 2010, covering nearly 7,500 Ohio in-home child care providers represented by AFSCME.

The contract with the administration guarantees union recognition, establishes a grievance procedure, and gives in-home child care providers new rights and a voice on the job.

AFSCME Ohio Council 8 President John A. Lyall said the first-ever pact, approved by a virtually unanimous vote of union members, enables providers to address reimbursement rates, consistent pay practices, and training and operating rules with state and county officials.

“If it had not been for Gov. Strickland’s executive order granting Ohio’s in-home child care providers the right to organize, we wound not be here today” Lyall said.  “That’s one of the reasons it is so vital to re-elect Gov. Strickland in November.  You can bet one of the first things a Republican governor would do is tear up Strickland’s executive order take away the union rights of child care providers
  

“Now, with this contract, in-home child care providers have a way to address the sweeping changes now taking place in their profession.”  Lyall said new rules and technology will affect everything from determining family eligibility to how providers are paid.

Governor Strickland, a strong advocate of early childhood development, said the contract was a giant step forward for Ohio’s care givers.

The new agreement includes the “AFSCME Child Care Provider’s Bill of Rights” which includes the right of providers to review and copy their files, to receive impartial evaluations, to require Department of Job and Family Services employees entering their home to produce identification and inform the provider if the visit is in response to a complaint or a routine inspection, and to be treated with respect during visits, inspections and investigations.

“It was long time coming,” said Estella Johnson, a Cincinnati child care provider and member of the statewide negotiating committee.  “We’re proud to have an AFSCME union to protect our rights, and a negotiated contract that enables us to improve our profession and the care we give to the families that depend on our services.”  

Ohio’s eight regional child care provider local unions are in the process of electing officers and adopting local union constitutions.

The success in Ohio is part of a national movement among child care providers to gain dignity and a voice through AFSCME. With their own union, providers now have the power to discuss reimbursement rates, consistent pay practices, training and operating rules with state and county officials who administer these programs.

In addition to Ohio, AFSCME represents about 150,000 family child care providers in California, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.