UFT, State Talk Pact for Home Day-Care Staff

The United Federation of Teachers Feb. 29 began contract negotiations on behalf of its newest members - home-based child-care providers - with the state Office of Children and Family Services.

RANDI WEINGARTEN: 'Raise quality of work.'

The union, in conjunction with the activist group Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), won the right to represent the home-based providers last October after an extensive recruitment campaign that produced authorization cards from more than 12,000 of the 28,000 persons in the bargaining unit. The vote in favor of joining the union was 8,382 to 96.

UFT President Randi Weingarten noted that the home-based providers earned an average of $19,933 according to a 2006 study, placing them barely above the poverty line. They also are not entitled to key benefits traditionally associated with unionized members such as health benefits, a pension and paid vacations.

"We hope to negotiate improvements for the providers that will raise the quality of the profession and help them achieve sorely needed economic gains as well," Ms. Weingarten said in a statement.