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SEIU 925 gives up raises, wants savings spent on parents

• Published March 05, 2009

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Unionized childcare providers say they will give up $8 million in rate increases awarded to them in arbitration last year, but they want the savings to be used to prevent cost increases for working parents.

Gov. Chris Gregoire's proposed budget would raise family co-payments for subsidized child care by $10 per child, per month. After she also decided not include SEIU 925's contract in the budget, the union sued.

Nancy Gerber, president of the local’s family care providers chapter, said lawmakers should spend $33 million in federal stimulus money aimed at child care to prevent any increases in co-payments for parents.

"Family child care providers will contributing to that effort by withdrawing our lawsuit to compel the funding of higher rates for our union contract," she said. "We believe our arbitrator-awarded raises should go instead to helping parents in this time of crisis."

This follows a decision by ferry workers and more recently the Washington Federation of State Employees to give up challenging Gov. Chris Gregoire's decision to shelve their contracts, and instead return to the bargaining table.