Minnesota Daycare Union Vote Blocked by Ramsey Co. Judge

ST. PAUL, Minn. - A Ramsey County judge ruled Monday that Minnesota's daycare unionization issue must go through the state Legislature. The ruling blocks a child care worker unionization vote that Gov. Mark Dayton had ordered to get underway this week.

Judge Dale Lindman scheduled a Jan. 16 hearing on whether to extend his order.

AFSCME Local 5 spokeswoman Jennifer Munt told the Associated Press it would probably be futile to ask the Legislature to call such a vote. Munt says legislators have already cut quality improvement grants for child care providers.

Gov. Mark Dayton had called the election by executive order, but opponents to the election sued, saying Dayton exceeded his powers.

“I respect the decision of the court today," Dayton said in a statement. "I am pleased the court was clear that I did not misuse my authority in issuing the executive order. I have asked to meet with the attorney general to determine our next steps. I continue to believe that in a democracy, people should have rights to elections to determine their own destinies.”

Judge Lindman also said he was concerned that less than half of the state's 11,000 in-home child care workers were eligible to vote in the election .

Dayton says he plans to meet with the state attorney general to consider the next steps on a union push for in-home child care providers, and wants to speak with state attorneys before determining how to proceed now.