Demand Support in Contract Fight
Day-Care Challenge to Unions

By MEREDITH KOLODNER

District Council 1707 Executive Director Raglan George told hundreds of day-care workers assembled outside City Hall last week that they and other city labor leaders needed to step up their support if the union was going to win its contract face-off with Mayor Bloomberg.

The Chief-Leader/Michel Friang STAYING IN THE STREETS: 'The Mayor is setting his own rules in how he governs this city,' DC 1707 Executive Director Raglan George told hundreds of day-care workers outside City Hall Park. He exhorted his members and other labor leaders to join his union in the streets as it fights for a new contract and to get a 15-month-old arbitration ruling honored.

'Setting His Own Rules'

The union held its third rally in as many weeks to push the Mayor to settle a contract covering 7,000 day-care workers, that would be retroactive to April 1, and to enforce a 15-month-old arbitration decision that would reinstate union protection for 600 employees.

"The Mayor is setting his own rules in how he governs this city," said Mr. George. "We need the rest of the labor movement to understand that if they do this to us, they can do it to them."

The Chief-Leader/Michel Friang 'FROM PULL-UPS TO DRAWERS': Group Teacher Kimiesha Fonville (left) and Teachers's Aide Levonne Nelson say they deserve raises and a new contract that respects the educational and socializing work they do for children. 'Everybody thinks day-care workers are just babysitters,' said Ms. Fonville. 'But we do so much more.'

Several labor organizations sent representatives who spoke at the rally, including the AFL-CIO New York City Central Labor Council, the State AFL-CIO, District Council 37, Local 1180 of the Communication Workers of America, Local 1 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, and the Professional Staff Congress.

"A lot of our members use these centers," said Moira Dolan, the assistant director of research and negotiations for DC 37. "They depend on the safe, affordable child-care."

Other officials also spoke about their members' reliance on the city's day-care facilities. "If you don't work, we can't work," said PSC solidarity committee co-chair Jim Perlstein. "We understand that an injury to one is an injury to all."

But Mr. George was clearly frustrated with the turnout at the three-hour protest. "Labor in this town doesn't stick together," he said. "They should all be here."

'Need You Behind Me'

He also urged his members to talk to their co-workers about taking off work for the next rally. "I need you behind me," he told the crowd. "When I tell the Mayor I got my people out there, I need you to be there."

About a dozen City Council Members pledged their support at the protest. Union officials said that they would do more extensive outreach for the next rally, planned for June 13.

DC 1707 officials have been angered by both the lack of a contract offer from the city and the refusal to carry out the arbitration ruling. The 600 workers were originally removed from the bargaining unit two years ago when a different city agency began administering after-school programs, some of which continued to operate inside the unionized day-care centers.

City Labor Relations Commissioner James F. Hanley has said repeatedly that the city is not responsible for the arbitration ruling because the day-care centers, while funded by the city, are managed by nonprofit groups.

'City's Disingenuous'

"It's disingenuous," said Connie Derr, the administrator of DC 1707's Day Care Workers Local 205 and acting regional director for its parent union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

"They knew what they were doing when they changed the after-school programs," she argued. "It's a shell game. The city has a debt. They need to pay it."

DC 1707's president emphasized the social and educational benefits of the centers. "You're the first ones who teach them how to tie their shoes, how to blow their noses," Kim Medina told the workers. "You may even get the first tooth that falls out."

Many of the day-care employees nodded and clapped. A chorus of "that's right" came from the crowd. "Everybody thinks day-care workers are just babysitters," said Kimiesha Fonville, a group Teacher at Hallet Cove in Queens, "But we do so much more. We socialize them, we make a curriculum. I've trained some of my babies from pull-ups to drawers."