Senate Seeks Another Way to Kill Forced Unionization of Child Care Providers
After a first attempt by politicians to defund a state organization failed, the state Senate is now taking its turn at trying to get rid of the Michigan Home Based Child Care Council (MHBCCC).
A Senate subcommittee approved language that would stop the Department of Human Services from finding money to give to the MHBCCC. The appropriations committee tried last year to cut the money to the council, but the DHS found money elsewhere from within its budget to keep it alive.
The Michigan Home Based Child Care Council has been under the spotlight over concerns about how it was created.
The Michigan Home Based Child Care Council was set up as the employer of home-based day care workers. The state says there are as many as 70,000 home-based day care workers, some of whom said they had no idea they had been roped into a union that represents members of the MHBCCC. Those that collect money from the state for low-income clients are included in the union. The MHBCCC collected $2.5 million in union dues in 2009, according to its financial statement.
The Mackinac Center filed a lawsuit against the Department of Human Services after some day care providers complained that they were unionized against their will.
Now, the Senate is considering yet another way to end the MHBCCC.
A recommendation would go Tuesday to the Senate Appropriations Committee for approval. Then it would go to the state Senate for a vote and if approved, move on to the House, according to Kelly Bartlett, a legislative aide for Senator Bill Hardiman, R-Kentwood.
"It's an attempt to take away their money," Bartlett said.
Senate Bill 1158 now has language specifically directing the DHS not to give any money to the MHBCCC or any organization that has the same functions. The bill also states that the department may not spent any money processing, distributing or dispersing union dues.
Bartlett said he felt the language in the bill was sufficient to end the MHBCCC.
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Other news and videos about this issue:
Litigation Backgrounder: Loar v. DHS
Stealth Unionization: Action and Inaction
Connecting the Day Care Union Dots
Zombie State Agency Finally Talks to Lawmakers
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.