Malloy’s Executive Orders Favor Unions Over Taxpayers

In a perfect world, taxpayers’ resources are infinite. There is more than enough to be able to compensate valuable employees who work under various state administered programs that help mid and low-income families. And there are adequate resources to expand both the scope and quality of these services. 

But in a real and imperfect world – and especially at a time of prolonged economic slump – taxpayers’ resources are limited and there just isn’t enough money to take from one source to provide to another.

Yet in a strong show of support for the very unions with whom he  to lower state expenditure through concessions and layoffs, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Sept. 21 issued two executive orders that will enable home health care workers to take the first step toward collective bargaining rights for higher wages and benefits, and better job training. 

Per Executive Order No. 9, the state will recognize a “Majority Representative” of home healthcare workers in the state Department of Social Services’ Care 4 Kids subsidy program, which seeks to provide affordable healthcare to low and moderate-income families.

“It is important for family child care providers to be given the opportunity to collectively communicate with the Department of Social Services to explore opportunities to increase wages and benefits through the Care 4 Kids program,” the order stated.

Executive Order No. 10 seeks to address – among other things – the standards for compensating home healthcare workers who are paid by the Department of Social Services and the Department of Developmental Services under programs administered to the state’s elderly and disabled residents. The order also created the Quality Home Care Workforce Council, which will recommend strategies to attract and retain personal care attendants.  

By issuing the two orders, Malloy overruled the will of the legislature, which did not get SB No. 1106 to a vote.

“It is unfortunate that the governor has chosen to ignore the legislative process. This concept died during the legislative session because it was not clear how the plan would work. Many people will be quite shocked if forced to join a union and pay over $20 per month in labor dues. Right now we should be focusing on how to create jobs – not on how to increase the labor union coffers,” Penny Bacchiochi, State Representative for Somers and the House Republican Caucus Chairperson, told Patch.   

On the other hand, in a typical Republican versus Democrat ideological divide, State Rep. Geoff Luxenberg, D-Manchester, believed the orders will help give family childcare providers and personal care attendants a voice, which would lead to better trained state employees and more reliable service.

“Once again, Governor Malloy has gone to bat for Connecticut’s service providers and consumers,” he said.

For state union leaders, this is undoubtedly a big win.

“It’s something we’ve been working on for a number of years – to organize home care and childcare workers in the state who don’t have the right to organize into unions. It is our goal to change the law and give workers the right to talk about wages, benefits and training,” Paul Filson, director of the Service Employees International Union Connecticut State Council, said.

Filson was keen to point out that these efforts pertain to only those employees who are paid by the public through various state-administered programs. And he insisted that the measure was not about increasing union dues through membership fees.

“First of all, these workers won’t be paying official union dues until there’s a contract. And there won’t be a contact until they get collective bargaining rights. Until then they’ll be paying voluntary dues of $5 or $10 a month if they so choose,” he said.

Filson said homecare workers typically earn $11 to $13 an hour and are only allowed to work up to 25 hours each week. He estimated that there are around 4,000-5,000 workers providing homecare services under state-administered programs.

“From talks with numerous personal care attendants and childcare workers, it is clear that there is no incentive for them to stay at their job because they can’t make a living from what they do. We hope to raise their pay and training standards and thereby reduce turnover rates,” Filson said. “We turned nursing home workers’ jobs into a real career after unionization. Connecticut has unionized around 5,000 janitors, which helped improve the quality of their lives.”

Rep. David Baram, D-Windsor, pointed to the needs of Connecticut’s aging population. 

“As more people who require personal care elect to remain at home in lieu of going into a nursing home, we must make sure that we attract capable workers who can provide these services. The council established by the executive order will study and recommend ways to accomplish this goal. Family childcare workers are essential in providing childcare to lower and moderate-income families, allowing parents to enter the workforce to help sustain themselves,” he said.  

“Gov. Malloy has done a courageous and righteous thing. He was true to his conviction that workers who provide care should have rights,” Filson said. “There’s no money attached to his order at this point. It’s free. When and if the economy turns around, we hope the state will direct its increased revenue to people doing important work in Connecticut.”

I've provided home care to my dad when he was terminally ill with cancer, along with my mother who was the primary caregiver. 

To me, any argument in favor of improving the quality of life for anyone, especially the most vulnerable members of our society, is a valid argument.

But at whose expense? Like I said, sadly, it’s not a perfect world where resources are unlimited.