Senator Markley Statement on Executive Orders #9 & #10

Senator Joe Markley (R-Southington), Ranking member of the Human Services Committee statement on Governor Malloy’s Executive Orders to expand union rights to care givers.

“I am outraged by the governor’s high-handed action. The legislature heard extensive testimony on this proposal, with strong opposition from both clients and caregivers. The heartfelt objections were enough to kill the bill, despite a Democratic majority generally sympathetic to the unions. Now–in an effort to placate the unions–Governor Malloy has taken it on himself to implement a policy the legislature wouldn’t pass. This is not government by the people through their elected representatives, but by one man who does not recognize the proper limits of executive power.

“For disabled people who live an independent life with the help of personal care assistants, this could be a real tragedy. With state assistance–but at a cost less than that of institutionalization–they have taken control of their circumstances, and make arrangements directly with their staff. The last thing either the clients or the caregivers need is a big union and intrusive government interfering with that relationship.

“As for day care workers, Connecticut can increase reimbursement rates for Care4Kids without collective bargaining. This unilateral move by the governor is not about improving care for children or increasing rates for providers. The goal is to expand SEIU’s dues paying membership, by redefining who a state worker is.”

Background:

Gov. Malloy lays groundwork for future collective bargaining for personal care attendants, family child care providers.

Executive Order No. 9 will allow certain family child care providers who receive subsidies through the Care 4 Kids program run by the Department of Social Services to elect a “majority representative” to have non-binding discussions with DSS over such issues as the quality and availability of family child care in the state, improving recruitment and retention of qualified family child care providers, compensation, and training and professional development.

Executive Order No. 10 will establish a seven-member Personal Care Attendant Quality Home Care Workforce Council consisting of the Commissioner of Social Services, who will serve as chairperson, the Commissioner of Developmental Services, and the Healthcare Advocate, or their respective designees, and four other people who will be appointed by the Governor. The Workforce Council is tasked with studying issues related to retention, training, and compensation for personal care attendants. It is required to establish personal care attendant registries to enable consumers to find and look up background information on personal care attendants, and is tasked with studying issues related to retention, training, and compensation for personal care attendants. In addition, Executive Order 10 establishes a way for personal care attendants to elect a “majority representative” to have non-binding discussions with the Workforce Council over such issues as the quality and availability of personal care attendants, recruitment and retention, compensation, and training and professional development.