Professionalism:

Professionalism is very important for being a part of an organization. Unions support a non-elitist and democratic model of professionalism in child care. In unionized centers professionals are benefited for recognition and training. For example, unionized providers are more likely than non-union providers to have contract provisions for inservice training and off-site professional development; for payment of registration fees, paid release time and replacements while on professional development; and for paid breaks, paid preparation time, paid overtime and a staff room. Research shows that unionized staff get more paid vacation then non-unionized staff. Unionized child care centers tend to demand and attract better trained and more experienced workers. Unions also have a strong record of affordable, high quality post-secondary training and education, critical to recruiting more people to ECE programs. Improving our skills benefits the children in our care. It can also give us confidence, new ideas, and practice that can make our job easier and more rewarding. Children learn from everything around them, and especially from the caring adults in their lives. Seeing ourselves as a professionals can put us in touch with others who do what we do so we can learn from them and exchange strategies.

Implications for ECE's and the Field:

Professionals in unionized centers are promised to provide quality services and they 1. Turn everyday routines into great learning experiences. 2. Know their own strengths and weaknesses and work to get better at the things they dont do well. 3. Connect with other child care providers to share strategies and resources. 4. Understand the ethical issues involved in caring for children and act in ethical ways. 5. Act as excellent role models for children in the language they use and the way they treat others. 6. Work together with parents to provide the best care possible for children. 7. Provide safe physical space for children and know how to respond calmly in emergencies. 8. Create nurturing learning environments for children and engage them in a variety of activities depending on their curriculum. 9. Provide nutritious snacks and meals. 10. Take care of themselves as well as for children. 11. Know the resources available in their own communities and take advantage of them. 12. Know that learning is a lifelong process and seek to improve their own skills and knowledge.

There is no doubt that unionized providers earn higher wages then non-unionized providers. They have more training because Union workers are more likely to have access to formal, on-the-job training, making employees more skilled and adding to productivity. They have safer workplaces. They are often better trained on health and safety rules and union workplaces are more likely to enforce Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards. Unionized providers are more likely to receive workers compensation. Union members also get their benefits faster, and return to work more quickly. When workers are injured, unions help workers through the often complicated process of filing for workers compensation and protect workers from employer retaliation. Unionized providers have good health insurance. Nearly 80% of unionized workers receive employer-provided health insurance, compared with 49% of non-union workers. Union members are also more likely to have short-term disability and life insurance coverage. In my opinion having Unions can be a good idea. Fair pay, for fair work. Everyone is equal, man, woman, race, religion. Do the work, get paid. . Unions in child care are important to protect child care providers' rights. This is a common voice of early childhood educators in this vulnerable profession and we are all together on one platform. Unions are a bad idea, when you dont do the work, still get paid, and the Union protects you in their own interests. The true purpose of a Union, for those who forget, is to ensure that an employee does not suffer, due to unfair discrimination, from an employer, due to, race, age, sex, nor religion, and be paid fairly in accordance of their abilities, and their ability to maintain

those qualifications. It should not guarantee that any person unwilling to fulfill those obligations to an organization will be protected, but it does so anyway. According to my research it is more beneficial for early childhood educators to be in this give and take unionization. To maintain quality and provide best services to families and gain more education in this profession, it is important to consider unionized child care centers. Unionized centers are known as effective learning centers and efficient employers. Early childhood educators have great opportunities to use their skills in effective and successful way.

Citation
www.workingforamerica.org/documents/connections_files/062003c.htm www.cccabc.bc.ca/res/pubs/pdf/UnionAdvantage_ChildCare.pdf www.nbcactionnews.com/dpp/news/local_news/special_reports/child-care-unionsuprises-some-providers Mishel and Walters; John Schmitt, The Union Advantage for Low-Wage Workers, Center for Economic and Policy Research, 2008 www.americanrightsatwork.org/component/option,com_issues/Itemid,366/view,issue/id, 12/