Why Should Directors Join SEIU?

Pam Moore, Program Supervisor, SeaTac Christian Daycare, SeaTac

"Unions"-–what emotion does that conjure up in you?  For me, growing up, union was a distasteful word in our home, suggesting anything from “violence and rioting” to “lazy, dissatisfied working class, always on strike”!  Until fairly recently it never occurred to me that one day I would see a union in an entirely different light.

I have been involved in the child care business on and off for over thirty-six years, directing centers in two different Washington cities and now as a Program Supervisor in a large center in SeaTac.  My passion is Children, with a large “C” with my Teachers a close second.  Our society is very good at saying how important young children are, but when it comes to the allocation of resources, this appears to be lip service only.  We hear repeatedly how the first five years of a child’s life is the most crucial for development and yet it costs much more per hour to fix a toilet than to invest in a child.

As I have talked with my fellow directors and teachers over the years, I've heard the same story.  Teachers are grossly underpaid, many barely making minimum wage, and therefore the turnover is high.  Even the most dedicated teacher can only afford to stay in the field a short time unless s/he has another income source.  The reality of life is our child care teachers need to be able to live independently, have access to health care and become better educated so they can provide the very best for the children in their care.  Up to now, child care teachers have had no recourse for making change.

When I first spoke to an SEIU organizer last March I was somewhat skeptical, but the more I heard about the approach SEIU 925 is taking and the success of the Family Child Care Providers in acquiring the right to bargain collectively, the more sense it made to me.  This is not merely a plea to ‘join the union for better pay’ -– it is an encouragement to join an organization that is committed to helping the child care world to be heard and has demonstrated this by its remarkable success on behalf of the Family Child Care Providers. 

This is not an attempt to pit child care workers against directors and owners, which is what the traditional perception of a union tends to be.  I am a supervisor and former director answerable to a board that might generally not be open to the idea of a union, but they are supportive of this effort.   I strongly urge every center in the state to get behind this campaign.  Talk to other teachers and directors, ask questions and get active! Joining together in SEIU offers us a chance for change!