In what appears to be the largest organizing drive in New York City in more than 50 years, some 28,000 child care providers organized and joined the United Federation of Teachers – UFT. On September 7th we began posting news about New York Governor Eliot Spitzer signing an executive order giving 60,000 home-based providers the right to unionize; this is a direct result of this executive order!

The overwhelming Union-Yes vote looked like this: 8,382 workers voted for union representation, 96 voted against doing so. The ballots were mailed in from September 5th and ended yesterday.

Even though more than 5,000 workers did not vote, under New York State law, the UFT won the representation right because a majority of those who DID vote chose to go union.

According to the NY Times, this is largest unionization campaign in the city since 1960, when 45,000 teachers joined the UFT.

When Governor Spitzer signed the executive order it was clear that these workers could not previously organize because of their independent contractor misclassification. The Governor’s order made them employees; and the UFT will now negotiation with the state over wages and benefits for these 28,000 workers, according to the Times.

An adjunct professor of labor studies at the Joseph S. Murphy Center for Labor, Community and Policy Studies at the City University, is quoted saying, “These are some of the lowest paid workers in the state. Labor has seen the importance of public sector organizing these workers seems like an obvious way to help them.”

Congratulations to all … this is excellent work!