Montpelier, VT (January 28, 2015) – After the Vermont Labor Relations Board (VLRB) rejected their attempt to overturn a recent vote by childcare providers against unionization, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) union officials have officially declined to appeal that decision to the Vermont Supreme Court.

Several childcare providers who sought to uphold the election results received free legal assistance and advice from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys.

In September 2014, AFT union officials submitted a petition for a unionization election with the VLRB. The proposed bargaining unit would have included 1323 childcare providers, all of whom receive a small state subsidy for caregiving.

In November and December of 2014, the VLRB conducted a mail-in unionization election. On December 9, the VLRB determined that a majority of Vermont childcare providers had voted against unionization. However, AFT officials promptly challenged the election results.

With the help of Foundation staff attorneys, six childcare providers filed a motion to intervene with the VLRB to defend their vote. Fortunately, the Board determined that there was no merit to the union’s election objections. The union subsequently declined to appeal that ruling to the Vermont Supreme Court.

“From Minnesota to Michigan to Rhode Island, aggressive union organizers have set their sights on home and childcare providers, even though these providers are not state employees and therefore should not be subject to monopoly unionization,” said Patrick Semmens, Vice President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “These unionization drives imperil the rights of independent-minded caregivers by pushing them to into union ranks simply because they receive a small state subsidy.”

“In the case of Vermont, childcare providers clearly rejected unionization,” continued Semmens. “We’re happy to report that their decision will stand despite an attempt by union lawyers to overturn the election results.”

The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization providing free legal aid to employees whose human or civil rights have been violated by compulsory unionism abuses. The Foundation, which can be contacted toll-free at 1-800-336-3600, assists thousands of employees in about 200 cases nationwide per year.