Local 1037 Helps N.J. Day Care Workers Gain Union Voice

This year, CWA Local 1037 and President Hetty Rosenstein were awarded CWA's President's Annual Award for outstanding achievement in organizing. CWA Local 1037's motto — "every member is an organizer" — has made the local a model of what CWA is trying to build nationwide: an army of stewards, said CWA President Larry Cohen in presenting the award during the convention.

Local 1037 helped child care workers throughout New Jersey organize around the state's delays in paying them for the care and meals they provide to children in their homes.

Local 1037 organizers knocked on thousands of doors in a campaign done entirely through house visits, and supported the 5,000 child care workers as they worked to build a strong organization to represent their interests.

The staff, members and officers of our local do "unbelievable work everyday in transforming Local 1037 into this organizing machine. The shop stewards participate, members participate, everybody who knows about these drives helps to knock on doors and work on it," Rosenstein said.

Rallies, meetings and public demonstrations helped win the support of Gov. Jon Corzine (D), and day care workers and other Local 1037 activists were on hand as Corzine signed an executive order recognizing the Child Care Workers Union as the exclusive bargaining representative of the state family child care providers. 

Corzine recognized the "invaluable and essential service to working parents and guardians" that the state's family child care workers provide.

Local 1037 now is pioneering a new idea: neighborhood shop stewards who will provide leadership as new child care workers sign up. The CWA campaign was carried out in cooperation with AFSCME; both unions jointly represent the child care workers through the CCWU.

Local 1037 Pres. Hetty Rosenstein, left, accepts the President's Annual Award for Organizing for the successful child care workers' campaign. 

Child care provider Alexis Anderson, right, now a local organizer, met with Gov. Jon Corzine to secure his support as the campaign took off last fall.