Portside

The victory was a big moment for a labor movement largely led by immigrants and women of color — two groups whose domestic work has historically been undervalued and excluded from labor protection laws.

Some 40,000 child-care workers across the state will receive a 15 percent raise in their new contract. The contract settlement coincided with a state budget agreement to fund 200,000 child-care slots over five years.

In a union election victory 17 years in the making, 40,000 child care providers in California have voted overwhelmingly to be represented by their union, Child Care Providers United (CCPU). This was a joint effort of AFSCME and SEIU.

After more than a decade of fighting for the right to bargain for better pay, California child care providers have started voting on whether to unionize.