Urging the City of Philadelphia to affirm and support the right of child-care workers to join the United Child Care Union.

WHEREAS, Child care workers in the City of Philadelphia provide a valuable service to working parents in the City; and

WHEREAS, Recent studies have shown that child care workers in Pennsylvania are underpaid and are less likely to have health insurance benefits than workers in surrounding states; and

WHEREAS, Low wages and lack of benefits in the industry lead to high employee turnover and lower quality child care for Philadelphia's children; and

WHEREAS, This Council supports high quality child-care, that will lead to greater school readiness for all children; and

WHEREAS, Workers in Philadelphia's child care industry are disproportionately women of color, and are more likely than any other groups to see improvements in their wages and benefits as a result of unionization; and

WHEREAS, The United Child Care Union/NUHHCE/AFSCME/AFL-CIO has improved the wages, benefits and working conditions for workers that it represents

at Allegheny Child Care Academy, leading to a higher standard of care

for children in those centers; and

WHEREAS, The United Child Care Union is working to improve conditions

for child care workers throughout the industry, particularly for workers who serve low-income communities; and

WHEREAS, Workers at other child care facilities have expressed interest

in joining the United Child Care Union, and have a protected right to organize in the workplace without fear of employer intimidation or harassment; now therefore

RESOLVED, That the City Council of the City of Philadelphia urges the City of Philadelphia to affirm and support the right of child-care workers to join the United Child Care Union.

End