About 50 workers and 50 children rally at the State House yesterday in support of such legislation.

01:59 AM EDT on Thursday, June 9, 2005

BY SCOTT MAYEROWITZ
Journal State House Bureau

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri yesterday reiterated his plans to veto legislation that would allow home-based child-care providers to unionize calling it a "full-scale assault on Rhode Island taxpayers by the unions."

"It's not about what is best for the taxpayers or for the kids," the Republican governor said in a statement. "It's really about the power of labor unions in the State House. The union behind this legislation cares about one thing: increasing membership and dues."

Carcieri's repeated vow came as a group of the workers rallied yesterday in support of the measure and as the Senate Labor Committee signed off on the legislation. The House Labor Committee gave its approval Tuesday. The issue now heads for separate votes Tuesday on both the House and Senate floors.

"Let's make sure that everybody in Rhode Island knows that these children are our priority," Rosemary Raygada, one of the child-care workers, said during yesterday's State House rally.

Journal photo / Connie Grosch

Union leaders meet with Senate legislators and staff outside the room where the Senate Labor Committee approved a child-care unionization bill. From left are George H. Nee, of the state AFL-CIO; Guy Dufault, a lobbyist with the Service Employees International Union; R. David Cruise, chief of staff to the Senate president; and Sen. Frank A. Ciccone III, D-Providence.

She, about 50 other child-care providers and 50 children stood under yesterday's hot sun to bring their message to lawmakers: "Kids come first."

George H. Nee, secretary/treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, told the workers: "You are an inspiration to the labor movement in Rhode Island because you're willing to fight, willing to struggle and will never, ever give up."

The Democratic leadership of the House and Senate has supported the measure. The Senate version of the bill was sponsored by Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport, who yesterday said at the Senate Labor Committee that the bill is a recognition of the work the providers do and the respect she has for them.

But Lynda Dickinson, representing the Rhode Island Head Start Association and the Rhode Island Child Care Center Association, told the committee that the vast majority of state-financed child care -- about 70 percent -- is not through these home-based providers but through larger centers. She said the entire industry should be treated the same.

The committee approved the measure 7-2, with Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano, D-North Providence, making the rare move of voting in support of a bill in committee himself.

The proposed legislation allows the child-care providers to unionize and requires the state to negotiate with them over work terms. The proposal does not limit what could be negotiated. But it does declare that the providers, generally women, are not "employees of the state for any purpose" and also bars them from striking.

The bill would cover two groups of people who care for state-subsidized children: certified home-based child-care providers and noncertified providers, generally a family friend or neighbor who does not run a full-fledged child-care business. The state lists about 1,300 people in each group, although fewer participate from month to month.

The child-care bill is being pushed through both chambers with great speed days before Assembly leaders are expected to unveil their proposed changes to the state's pension system -- something that could be a big blow to organized labor.