Michigan has nearly 40,000 family child care providers. Most providers in the state started caring for children in low-income families when welfare reform demanded that many people leave welfare for work. The federal and state governments helped ease the burden by subsidizing child care for these newly employed parents.

But that was 10 years ago - and subsidies in Michigan haven’t budged. These providers care for children up to 12 hours a day, and are paid less than two dollars an hour and receive no health insurance. It’s a disgrace that in this country these providers are treated so poorly for the important work they do helping to raise our children, according to AFSCME President Gerald McEntee.

That’s why, in his latest contribution to the Huffington Post, McEntee was pleased to announce the big news that these child care providers have made the historic decision to unionize under Child Care Providers Together Michigan (CCPTM), a joint organizing effort between AFSCME and the United Auto Workers.