When Gavin Newsom signed AB387 into law today, he ended 16 years of unsuccessful attempts by daycare providers statewide to unionize. He also signed on to be “the boss” who child care providers will directly bargain with when they hammer out their first ever labor contract.
The new law, which will go into effect on Jan 1, 2020, allows family child care providers the right to collectively bargain for a labor contract.
Today’s bill signing represents a major victory for the mostly women of color who care for many of the state’s littlest residents. After five previous gubernatorial vetoes, many a lawmaker calling daycare owners “babysitters,” and major cuts to child care following the 2008 recession, veteran child care providers are ecstatic, including Bellflower’s Tonia McMillan.
“Signing our bill strengthens my belief that when you know you’re right, you continue to fight,” McMillan said. “We childcare providers fought and we won.”