General News
It’s all over but the counting
Oct 18, 2007 4:39 PM
The countdown begins. The city’s home-based child-care providers have cast their ballots to form a union with the UFT as their collective bargaining agent and now await the results of their two-year struggle to unionize. The ballot count, due on Oct. 23, marks the city’s largest labor organizing drive in 50 years. left: At a press conference in the Bronx on Oct. 1, New York City Councilman Joel Rivera joins UFT President Randi Weingarten and Vice President Michelle Bodden to urge providers to get their ballots in. Majority Leader Rivera said, “I want to take this opportunity to urge providers to get those ballots in so they can have the UFT represent them and fight for the rights, pay and benefits they deserve.” Noting that providers deserve respect and dignity and should be paid a living wage, Weingarten added, “A contract will put them on the path to achieve those goals and the UFT is looking forward to representing them.” Bodden predicted that winning that first contract will take “tough negotiations and effective representation.” A simple majority is required for the UFT to become the providers’ collective bargaining representative.
