Gov. Dannel Malloy took steps today toward forcibly unionizing daycare providers and home health care workers in Connecticut.
Malloy used two executive orders, his ninth and tenth, to make the first steps toward forcing these workers to pay union dues like most state employees – a boon to the very unions Malloy frustrated with the concessions he negotiated and the layoffs he threatened.
At the AFSCME Council 4 rate of $21.80 a month, the state’s 4,000 day care providers would add just over $1 million to the union coffers. Council 4 Executive Director Salvatore Luciano earns more than Malloy, taking home $151,003 according to federal disclosures.
In addition to providing for normal union elections, the executive orders also take away the right to a secret ballot election for workers in these fields by providing for a card check process.
Unions support card check because it makes organizing easier, while opponents say the process allows unions to intimidate workers because their votes are no longer secret.
Last week, at the state AFL-CIO convention at Foxwoods Casino, Malloy said “please don’t question my commitment to labor,” according to CT News Junkie.
“You never heard me attack labor and I won’t,” he said.
With these executive orders, Malloy came through where the General Assembly failed the unions. Senate Bill 1106 never made it to a vote. It would have converted “family child care providers” into state employees for the purpose of collective bargaining.
“I have said repeatedly that I believe in the rights of workers to organize and collectively bargain, and personal care attendants and family child care providers are often-times the hardest-working, and lowest-paid workers in our job force,” Malloy said. “These executive orders will enable them to begin informal conversations with DSS and the Workforce Council immediately on quality-of-life issues, with an eye toward establishing formal collective bargaining rights in the future. It is important that those who care for both our youngest and oldest citizens receive equitable pay and workforce security.”
Omg. Our constitutional rights are being flushed down the toilet by Maloy.
Not to mention taxing us to death. I really want to leave this state, and I used to
Like living here.
Well done, as usual Zack!
Joe Markley said:
“The average reader may not be as outraged by this high-handed act as I am”
Probably true, few of us have such a high sensitivity to right & wrong as Joe does.
change.orgchange.org
Phony Union; Extortion by Fiat should land an elected official in handcuffs, unless of course we are operating under a communist state.
:http://townhall.com/columnists/marybethhicks/2011/03/09/out_from_under_a_phony_union/page/full/
Sign the petition started opposing this:
http://www.change.org/petitions/state-rep-christopher-coutu-rep-mike-molgano-and-senator-joe-markley-support-the-petition-and-call-legislators-and-governor
And get the word out! Forward this to your fb page, twitter, etc! Don[t be afraid!
change.orgchange.orghttp://www.change.org/petitions/challenge-the-governors-executive-order-to-hurt-the-needy-support-the-petition-and-call-legislators-and-governor
Call to action…
Family Child care providers have been “invited” several times over the past few years to join a union which supposedly would benefit us as a group. when I began my home child care 25 years ago, I had a waiting list and still do…will a union get me more clients? I have an above average fee for my clients, but they get wht they pay for..so they tell me…will a union get me higher fee? the only area I see that a union might benefit a family child care provider is in the area of helath care….I am not infavor of this union or any other union.
I am sending a request to Glenn Beck to cover this. Others do the same, please. We need help in CT and if that’s the only way to get it, fine.
cga.ct.govgovernor.ct.govcga.ct.govgovernor.ct.govMr. Markley is dead on! As I wrote before, this violates our right of representation and people need to get involved and be heard – not just here, but by contacting the Governor and every Senator and Representative you have and you know. http://www.cga.ct.gov and http://www.governor.ct.gov
Clear violation of the right of representation! As a citizen involved in the fight to STOP the General Assembly from adopting unionization of child/elderly care last Spring, it is frightful that the battle WE won then has been undone by unlimited power given to one man. Our State Representatives and State Senators listened to us! Malloy has chosen his union comrads over US. Don’t forget it!
This is beyond insulting! For 3 years I stood side-by-side with wheel chair bound citizens to fight for their rights. The Governor and the majority is saying theses citizens are not competent to take care of themselves. To use the disabled for financial gain their should be national outrage. No state in America has this legislation. They man has no honor or integrity.
For the record I was a PCA and you should ask Mike Malgano what he thinks of this legislation. Mike is an amazing leader in the house and can train and manage his PCA’s.
Red Dan loves his unions.
Gee, without good ole Dan, a healthcare worker can’t have informal discussions about unionizing. But, now, the unions can talk with state employees, some of whom are union, about forming union chapters.
I followed the legislative discussion alluded to by Joe Markley. It is clear the people “protected” by the governor are not in favor of this. But, Dems know best.
So if you own a business and would rather your employees work for you and not a union- as in a free enterprise system – the Gov thinks otherwise and who needs due process when you can be a dictator?
This is a very, very slippery slope this man has put our state on and people need to wake the heck up. Because you don’t run a day care – you shouldn’t worry? and of course guess who’ll get a nice big check at re-election time from the new unions?
Nothing like driving up the costs of healthcare in a recession. Malloy s just trying to win back unions. After all the do contribute a lot of money to him.
As a licensed home day care provider I am outraged by this! No way do I want to pay union dues in the first place and for what?@! They don’t represent my interests. This will do nothing but increase costs to familes already struggling and I can see providers like myself who would rather give up my business than to become a forced union member/state employee. So, does this mean instead of families paying me directly, they will have to send it to the state, so they and the unions get their share and I get apittance?
Oh great, about to have a daughter any day now and looks like the cost of child care is about to go up even more. I’m so sick of the decisions of this idiot.
The average reader may not be as outraged by this high-handed act as I am. The legislature heard extensive testimony on this proposal, with strong opposition from both clients and caregivers. The heartfelt objections were enough to kill the bill, despite a Democratic majority generally sympathetic to the unions. Now–in an effort to placate the unions–Malloy has taken it on himself to implement a policy the legislature wouldn’t pass. This is not government by the people through their elected representatives, but by one man who does not recognize the proper limits of executive power.