What is VOICE?
What is CSEA?
What is AFSCME?
How much are dues?
Are my dues tax-deductible?
Where do my dues go?
Will my dues be used for political reasons?
Will the union make me go on strike?
What is VOICE?
VOICE, the VOICE of Organized Independent Childcare Educators, is CSEA/VOICE, Local 100A of the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA). VOICE was formed by family childcare providers in partnership with CSEA.
VOICE brings together 7,500 registered family and licensed group family child care providers across the state of New York (outside of New York City). VOICE has supported family child care providers in their work since 2002. VOICE has negotiated 4 consecutive agreements with the Office of Children and Family Services that makes New York’s child care system work better for providers and the children and families they serve.
What is CSEA?
The Civil Service Employee Association (CSEA), with nearly 300,000 members in New York State, is a labor union of employees of New York State and its counties, municipalities, school districts, private sector companies, non-profit agencies and Family, Group Family and Legally-exempt child care providers. CSEA organizes for social and economic justice, effecting change through collective bargaining, political action and legislative advocacy.
What is AFSCME?
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is one of the nation.s largest and fastest growing public service employee unions. AFSCME has organized over 200,000 family child care providers in over a dozen states across the country. AFSCME hosts a national Independent Provider conference, where members gather to share their success stories and brainstorm solutions to challenges. AFSCME lobbyists in Washington, DC make sure our issues are front and center with our elected officials in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
How much are dues?
If you serve children in families receiving DSS subsidies, your dues will be 2% of the reimbursement you receive from the county. The maximum annual dues rate is $842.27. The maximum rate only applies if you receive at least $34,500 in payments over the course of the calendar year. CSEA’s dues structure is set up so that those who pay at the high end of the dues range are those who benefit most from our contracts. If you do not serve children receiving child care subsidies, the dues rate is $42.87 per month. You can pay dues monthly or annually by check, money order, or PayPal.
Are my dues tax-deductible?
Yes. For family childcare providers, dues are fully tax deductible and paid with pre-tax dollars. Family and Group Family Provider incomes are subject to a 35% tax rate (15% self employment, 15% federal income tax, and 5% state income tax.). For example, if you did not pay $514 in dues. $179 in taxes would have to be paid on that income leaving a net income of $273 for vou. Though the out of pocket cost of dues is $514, the actual cost of dues in this example is $335. You will then enjoy the benefits of union membership which far outweigh the cost of dues.
Where do my dues go?
Dues supports the power that VOICE/CSEA brings to the work we do every day to safeguard family child care, support providers and the children and families in our care. Union dues pay for the CSEA child Care Resource Center, conference calls, mailings, lobbying, legal assistance, members training and meetings. Dues are a fully tax deductible business expense. At a combined federal and state tax rate of 35%, when you pay $300 in dues, the real cost to you in only $195.
Will my dues be used for political reasons?
At the national level the answer is No. AFSCME has a political action committee called PEOPLE. VOICE members may donate to PEOPLE on a voluntary basis. PEOPLE funds, NOT dues, are used to help elect candidates who support issues important to our members. At the state level, 3% of dues goes to the CSEA Political Action Fund. These funds are used for lobbying for legislation and campaign support of candidates supportive of our issues and concerns at the state and local levels of government.
Will the union make me go on strike?
No. The law under which VOICE was organized and recognized has a no-strike clause. As members, we decide the agenda of our union. While generally strikes are rare, they are exceedingly rare with CSEA because the vast majority of CSEA members do not have the right to strike under New York State law.
