In a room that included nothing but smiles on Sept. 30, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski watched as state agency officials and child care providers signed a groundbreaking and historic document – the first contract between the state and the Oregon AFSCME-represented Child Care Providers Together (CCPT).

 

The contract agreement continued a series of firsts for Oregon AFSCME and CCPT. Last year, the governor issued an executive order that allowed AFSCME to organize the child care providers. Those represented by AFSCME/CCPT are registered and certified family child care providers. About 4,400 providers statewide are covered by the order (and the ensuing contract).

 

Council 75 was the first in the nation to successfully organize such a group; parallel efforts are ongoing in other states involving other AFSCME Councils. Reaching a contract agreement is another national first – as is the inclusion of a child care providers “Bill of Rights” as part of that contract.

 

“We couldn’t be more excited to be leading the nation on this front,” said Oregon AFSCME Executive Director Ken Allen. “Our contract with the state on behalf of our providers will be a model for the country. Already we’ve had inquiries from other states about our ‘Bill of Rights’ document. This is a great day for our union, but more importantly, it’s a great day for the providers we represent.”

 

Kulongoski said under his administration, quality child care is a priority for every Oregonian who needs it.

 

“High quality child care is a must for every working family in Oregon,” said Kulongoski. “Safe, affordable and dependable providers will help to strengthen our economy and our families.

 

“I am so pleased that the state and AFSCME have worked together to reach this agreement, based on my executive order from last year,” the governor continued. “I applaud the spirit of cooperation exhibited by the Department of Human Services, the Employment Department and the union negotiating team. I also want to especially recognize the providers themselves, whose dedication to the child care profession is critical to the success of Oregon's working families.”

 

Indeed, it’s the importance of treating child care providers as professionals that spurred most of the providers to participate in forming the union. The new contract with the state reinforces that ideal. Here are some of the document’s highlights:

 

• The 17-point “Bill of Rights.” Key points include representation by the union, the right to be treated with dignity and respect and the right to have the union present during any interaction with state agencies. (You can click on the attached PDF file to view the entire Bill of Rights document.)  

 

• A substantial increase in the state-paid providers’ subsidy. Lower-income families depend on subsidy money to pay for child care expenses. Most of this money is federal funds passed through the state. Oregon’s subsidy pay ranks last in the nation and subsidy-based parents can only afford child care in the lowest one-fifth of what’s available by cost. In addition, the rate is based on a 1994 market rate survey. The new contract includes state money added to the mix that will raise Oregon’s overall level to about 18th nationally – and those numbers are based on the 2006 market rate survey. Kulongoski has pledged the extra subsidy money will be in his budget that’s presented to the 2007 Oregon Legislature in January.

 

• Lowering of co-payments. Subsidy-eligible families are nevertheless expected to make a co-payment on their child care expenses, much like the co-payment you’re charged for a prescription or a doctor’s office visit. Lowering the co-payments gives families more opportunities to access better-quality child care.

 

• Direct electronic deposit of state subsidy payments. Such payments are currently done by paper checks, and there is often a delay of as much as a week in receipt for providers east of the Cascades.

 

• AFSCME/CCPT will have a voice in the statewide training system. Under the contract, providers will participate in the development and implementation of types and levels of training, including having training provided in the participant’s primary language. The trainings will also be geographically based.

 

Needless to say, the providers themselves are excited about the agreement.

 

““We’re going to be the first child care providers who will be working hand-in-hand with the state as a team,” says Regina Martinez. She and her husband run a certified family child care in Ontario. Martinez was one of 20 providers who formed the contract bargaining team.

 

“I was looking for respect for my profession,” said Martinez. “We’re the lowest-paid child care providers in the United States. What we were asking is, ‘Please, bring us up so we’re at least getting paid the average’ (for providers throughout the country). If you really value us, pay us what we’re worth.”