PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Over protests from the chamber's tiny Republican caucus, the Rhode Island House of Representatives, during a rare and busy Friday session, passed legislation that would allow day-care workers to unionize.
Workers watching in the gallery said the proposal was about giving them the chance to improve child care.
"We're doing it for the kids," said Joyce Laramee, of Pawtucket. "We try to give a hundred percent to the kids, and the rules that are made and the regulations that are made, we want to be able to have a say."
But Republicans warned the bill would only lead to higher child-care costs, as workers would be able to negotiate with the state for better pay and benefits.
"This is the worst bill of the year," said state Rep. Joseph Trillo, R-Warwick. "Nothing against day-care workers, but they don't belong being treated as state employees. They are not the police department. They are private individuals and if they want to unionize, they could do it any time they want. Let them organize. We don't need to create legislation that is going to oversee and do everything."
Introduced by state Rep. Scott Slater, D-Providence, the bill would allow any providers who receive state subsidies for children in their care to form a union or join an existing one such as the SEIU.
Among the issues they could collectively bargain with the state include reimbursement rates, benefits, training and professional development and "other economic matters," according the proposal.
The workers would be specifically prohibited from accessing state pension and health-care benefits and would not have the right to strike.
After nearly an hour of debate and a couple of failed amendments, the measure passed 56-11. It now heads to the Senate for approval.