Union leaders say they are moving full speed ahead with their legislative agenda this year, despite recent comments from Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk that many issues on their wish list will not pass this session.

Over strenuous objections from Republicans, the House Government Operations Committee passed a bill that would allow daycare workers and personal care assistants (PCAs) to unionize. The priority for public employee unions has traveled through several committees in the House and Senate

Gov. Mark Dayton has vetoed a bill that relates to his ongoing battle with Republicans over the issue of allowing daycare providers to join a public employees union. The bill would have forbidden union dues from being deducted from public child care assistance payments.

Gov. Mark Dayton has canceled a meeting with state Sen. Mike Parry after the Waseca Republican sent a fundraising letter accusing the governor of political payback in move to allow some in-home daycare providers to join a union.

A Ramsey County judge has put a halt to Gov. Mark Dayton’s move to hold an election for daycare providers to vote on joining a union.

The resolution means the Senate will officially file brief in support of a lawsuit that has pitted 11 childcare providers against the Dayton administration in Ramsey County District Court

For nearly six years, union officials have been working to build support for representing the state’s in-home day care providers. Now that campaign will come down to a one-month effort to convince roughly 4,300 small business owners that union representation is in their best interest.