Employees at more than 1,000 childhood centers that have state-funded contracts or receive state subsidies would be eligible to join the union. In addition to those teachers, the new union would also represent custodians, van drivers, and program directors.
“We think [the union] will give them a larger voice in education policy and at individual centers,’’ said Thomas Gosnell, president of the federation. “The reality is as teachers unionize they become more forceful advocates for resources for their schools.’’
Backers emphasize that their strategy is to have the state cover the additional costs, rather than have families pay it through higher tuition rates.
But the effort has sparked heated opposition from some early childhood education centers and day care providers, such as the YMCA of Greater Boston and the Boys & Girls Clubs Massachusetts Alliance. They argue that, among other things, a union contract would lead to higher negotiated salaries that ultimately might have to be covered by tuition increases - despite organizers’ intentions to the contrary.
“It messes with affordability,’’ said Kevin Washington, president and chief executive officer of the YMCA of Greater Boston. “In the long run, it will affect quality.’’
The union drive has been picking up momentum as the state struggles to address a key element of bolstering the quality of early childhood education: Finding money to pay workers adequately to prevent them from leaving the field.
In a report last year, the Bessie Tartt Wilson Initiative for Children, a Boston nonprofit, said Massachusetts is facing a compensation crisis, pointing out that most early childhood educators in the private sector make less than $25,000 annually, causing high turnover. The pay is roughly three times less than what unionized teachers make in public schools, according to salary data compiled by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
