It’s nice to report some good news on the labor front—one of the biggest labor organizing victories in the last half-century. The United Federation of Teachers—the New York City-based affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers—has won the right to represent 28,000 child care providers. This is not only a great victory for organizing but shows us all why it makes a difference which political party controls the levers of power, particularly at the state level.
The election wasn’t even close: 8,382 people voted for the union, and only 96 voted no. This means that some of the lowest-paid workers—who averaged $19,000 a year—will get a significant raise, not to mention health care coverage. It also means that the UFT will expand its membership—and power—by about 20 percent.
So, here’s the political lesson, as the New York Daily News points out:
The city day care workers got a boost from Gov. Spitzer in May when he signed an order granting them the right to organize. Former Gov. George Pataki vetoed a similar move last year, saying it would be too costly to taxpayers.
So, the Republican Pataki—representing the party that talks about loving children and families—made it impossible for thousands of people who care for children to make a decent living (and, by the way, Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg also opposed the unionization effort—though, since Bloomberg News has always been non-union, that shouldn’t surprise anyone). Enter Democrat Eliot Spitzer and, presto, people get the right to choose to have a union—which they did overwhelmingly. Obviously, there will now be a period of collective bargaining between the state and the union but it’s almost a foregone conclusion that, in the end, there will be a deal to raise wages significantly.
Obvious conclusion: to those who would argue that there is no difference between the two parties, this is a great example that shows that Democrats in power usually means a better deal for workers than Republicans in power. We need to have a strong critique on the pro-business bent of the Democratic Party and some of its most visible leaders. And I agree with those who view the two parties as embracing many of the same pillars of a destructive economic system. But, the fact is real people get real improvements in their daily lives when one party is in power.
The UFT should be applauded for its commitment to unionize these folks but we can’t make too much of the victory as a signal about the prospects for union organizing. Spitzer’s order gave the framework to organize the workers under the State Employment Relations Board. Under the state board framework, there just isn’t the room for a massive anti-union campaign, with the intimidation and outright firing of pro-union workers that is commonplace whenever a union tries to organize. You can’t replicate these conditions in the broad private sector.
But, still, this is worth celebrating. And knowing that there will be 28,000 workers who will live just a little bit better.