Franson says move to unionize day care providers would hurt businesses, families

On Tuesday, Governor Mark Dayton issued an executive order to allow SEIU and AFSCME to conduct an election in December among day care providers in Minnesota on whether or not to unionize.

Dayton has been indicating he would sign an executive order for months. Fourteen other states have contracts with child day care unions.

Representative Mary Franson, R-Alexandria, opposes the move.

“Governor Dayton’s actions show that he is willing to bend over backwards for the unions, even when the majority of providers and Minnesotans do not want a union,” she said in a news release issued Tuesday. “Governor Dayton is clearly out of touch with Minnesotans.”

Franson said the state’s focus should be on efforts to ease the financial burdens on struggling Minnesota families – not seeking to impose “undue union representation on small business owners, who are the backbone of our economy.”

Dayton indicated the Bureau of Mediation Services will conduct an election in December and have results tabulated by the end of December. Ballots are set to be handed out on December 6 and collected on December 20 and a final tally to be revealed at the end of the month.

The legality of the governor’s executive order is also being taken into account by lawmakers.

Franson, a former licensed day care provider, said that forming unions would eventually drive up the cost of day care.

“When the average cost of day care is upwards of $8,000 per year, Minnesota families cannot afford to pay more,” she said.

Franson represents House District 11B and is serving her first term at the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Town hall meeting November 22

State Representative Mary Franson (R) District 11B, will host a town hall meeting regarding the possibility of child care providers unionizing on Tuesday, November 22 at 7 p.m. at Traveler’s Inn, 511 Broadway Street in Alexandria.

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