Joining BCGEU establishes respect for child care professionals
Langley pre-school workers join BCGEU
BCGEU
Apr 23 '08

Early childhood educators and service workers at Core Education & Fine Arts in Langley have voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining the BC Government and Service Employees' Union. The 20 new union members at CEFA, a private ‘junior kindergarten school', will now prepare to bargain their first collective agreement.

Silvia Deras has worked as an early childhood educator for nine years. She believes that having the union will bring more respect for the profession. "We're taking care of people's children and that's valuable!"

Deras notes that having a union agreement that addresses job security, wage and benefit issues can also be an advantage to the employer by building a more stable workforce. "It can open doors for them to more quality child care workers, higher morale and less staff turnover."

This is the third child care centre where members have voted to join the BCGEU, in recent months. The union represents child care workers in more than 100 centres across BC.

Special associate membership tops 1000

Family child care providers are also signing up en masse with the BCGEU as special associate members. In the past year, the number of special associate members has doubled to more than 1000. This membership connects home-based operators - who may not be able to directly certify as union members immediately - with a larger organization and child care movement.

"The BCGEU is committed to advocating for improved public funding for child care, and working with our communities to build a sustainable universal child care system," says BCGEU president George Heyman.

"It is significant that so many child care providers recognize today that uniting together under our union banner is a powerful way to advance child care issues. I welcome all of our new members and their enthusiasm."

Special Associate Member chapters have been formed in Kamloops, Victoria, and Burnaby-New Westminster, with plans for more chapters soon in other areas.