Seek 10,000 Signatures
UFT Renews Effort On Day-Care Staff

By HOWARD MEGDAL

The United Federation of Teachers Oct. 14 kicked off a drive to have 10,000 home day-care providers sign authorization cards as part of the effort to unionize the city's 32,000 workers.

RANDI WEINGARTEN: Leads unionizing push.

"All across the city today, the UFT, ACORN, community-based organizations and lawmakers are standing - and knocking on doors with - home day care providers to help them get the right to unionize," UFT President Randi Weingarten said in a statement. "We are confident we will get more cards than we need. We've spoken to thousands of providers and the overwhelming majority wants to be part of a union."

Made Presence Felt

The union held events in all five boroughs, after which day care workers knocked on the doors of unaffiliated providers, asking for signatures. In Manhattan, Ms. Weingarten and State Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat, who sponsored a bill to recognize the providers' union, led a mini-rally prior to the effort.

"Today is a day of action and a day to begin demonstrating just how much home day care providers need - and want - a union to protect them," Mr. Espaillat said. "They need the strong voice of a big, active union to make sure they have the means and training to care for and teach our youngest children - the kids who are our future." The UFT was confident of garnering the targeted number of signatures.

"Last year we collected 6,000 signatures in three months, without the providers' help," Fran Streich, the UFT's organizing director for home day care, said in an Oct. 12 phone interview. "But the cards only last 6 months."

Pataki Blocked Bill

In addition to the signatures, the UFT needs legislation from Albany to become the formal representatives of the providers. After the necessary bill passed both the State Assembly and Senate by wide margins, Governor Pataki vetoed it earlier this year. The Senate then voted to override - but no vote was held in the Assembly.

"We really need this legislation passed," Ms. Streich said, adding that she expects "an executive order from Governor Spitzer," a reference to Democratic gubernatorial nominee Eliot Spitzer, who is leading Republican John Faso by more than 50 points in recent public opinion polls.

She added that while the union was not yet officially sanctioned, "I feel like we're winning some changes, even before we have a union - it's been a key to providing changes."

But providers and union officials agree that more needs to be done. The day-care providers currently make an average of $19,933 a year. With group family providers watching as many as 12 children, that can come to as little as $2 an hour.

"Taking care of children is in my blood," Melvina Vandross, a Bronx day care provider said. "But with what I earn - less than $19,000 per year - I can't support my family. My son recently needed tutoring, but I could not afford it. I am healthy now but if I get sick, I have no health insurance and I will have no pension when I retire."