The New Frontier: Unions for Child Care Providers

I just read an interesting article in The Seattle Times about the struggles of home-based day-care workers in Washington to form a union. Because the workers are self-employed, they are not allowed to unionize under Washington's current laws. This issue of what counts as work relates my earlier post about those who criticize the SEIU for "boosting the rolls with workers who aren't really workers."

Today's article states:

Four years ago, Washington voters passed Initiative 775, allowing home-based health-care workers (then considered independent contractors) the right to unionize and receive health coverage and pay raises from the state.

"It's challenging, but we've done it in health care and we'll do it in child care," said Kim Cook, president of SEIU Local 925.

One of the home-based day-care workers sums it up well:

"Just because we work from our homes doesn't mean we aren't professionals."