Dear Friends,
I wanted to pass along some very encouraging news we received yesterday morning.
On a 5-4 decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled in the Harris vs. Quinn decision that homecare workers in Illinois are not public employees and therefore cannot be compelled to join a public employee union and pay union dues.
This makes it all but certain that the childcare and PCA unionization law passed by Democrats and signed by Governor Dayton in 2013 is going to be struck down by the federal courts.
Childcare provider Jennifer Parrish sued Governor Dayton last year, and the case (Parrish vs. Dayton) was put on hold pending the decision in the Harris vs. Quinn case.
This ruling is a victory for parents and providers alike. Forcing a union on childcare workers and personal care attendants would have meant higher costs and fewer choices for parents seeking childcare. Democrats sought to put a union where it doesn't belong to please their special interest union bosses, causing a great deal of unneeded stress and worry for parents and providers who just wanted to be left alone.
The motivation was clear: unions stood to gain between $8-13 million in additional dues if the unionization effort was successful. This is money coming from the pockets of low-income families who utilize tax credits to pay for childcare that would go directly into union coffers.
This Supreme Court decision will likely bring an end to this unwanted and unnecessary unionization effort. Once the Parrish vs. Dayton decision is handed down, I will be sure to pass along that news.
Be sure to share this good news with your Facebook friends as well.
Have a great week,
Glenn