California child care providers will kick off the largest organizing campaign in two decades with a just-signed bill that permits the workers to collectively bargain with the state on wages and reimbursement.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Sept. 30 signed Assembly Bill 378 and cleared the way for the state’s 40,000 child care providers who receive state subsidies to form a union and negotiate with the state on wages, reimbursement, training, and professional development. California annually spends $2.2 billion on subsidized care for 360,000 children in low-income families.