Home Hot Topics Articles Directors' Choice Awards About Us / Contact Us Activities & Curriculum Activities for Outcome-Based Learning Arts & Crafts Music for Learning Recommended Reading Sharing Boards: What Do YOU Think? NEWSlink Current National News Conference Calendar Topics In Early Childhood Education Art and Creativity in Early Childhood Education Job Sharing Board State Licensing Requirements Stay Connected! Each month we'll send you an email filled with articles and ideas for your classroom. Subscribe Now Date: 10/11/2005 7:11:00 PM Author: Melissa Subject: Union While shopping just this past week I picked up a book about how woman can succeed in a male dominated world. As I flipped through the book I came across a chapter about woman in what the author called "Femal Ghettos" which she later described as work places where most if not all of the employees were woman and the wages, expectations and respect were disarmingly low. Among the occupations the author described were elemenary and preschool teachers and child care providers. Most child care teachers make less then the person who takes your order at McDonald's and probably with far less benefits. Child Care is a multi-million dollar buisness and even more so for the big chains like Godard, Just Children and Kindercare, so why doesn't that money funnel down to us, the employees and providers? Why do we suffer with little more then minimum wage and poor, if any, benefits? Then on top of that, forced to purchase supplies with our own money because such purchases usually "just aren't in the budget". It's time to stand up for ourselves and defend the profession we love from money-hungry buisness owners and finally gain the respect and loyalties we deserve. Why don't child care workers have a union yet? Isn't it way over due? I don't know about the rest of you out there, but I'm ready for a change. I'm tired of being looked at as just a babysitter (14 year old baby sitters probably make more then us). We are so much more for the children we care for and the families that trust us to raise their children while they're away. We're teachers, nurses, artists, psycologists, comedians, actresses, janitors, chefs, a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold, a warm hug and so much more on a daily basis. We should be getting the benefits we deserve for the amazing jobs we do everyday. We need to do something. Name: Email: Subject

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