Adult family homes in union-bargaining battle

OLYMPIA — Washington's largest state-worker union is pushing to organize adult-family-home operators, who care for thousands of the state's frail and disabled residents.

Some adult-family-home operators believe the Washington Federation of State Employees — also known as the Federation — will help them win better reimbursement rates from the state.

"This is a historic opportunity for our industry," said Bill Day, a former state legislator who lobbies for the Adult Family Home Association of Washington.

But another group — the Washington State Residential Care Council (WSRCC) — is working hard to derail the Federation's organizing effort.

The group's leaders argue the Federation has no business representing adult family homes, in part, because the union also represents workers at state-run institutions for the severely disabled.

Over the past several years, for instance, the Federation has aggressively opposed a controversial effort to close Fircrest School in Shoreline and move the developmentally disabled residents into community-based settings such as adult family homes.

For years, advocates for the disabled have pushed to move residents out of state institutions like Fircrest and into the community, where they could interact more with society.

"The Federation has no interest in residential-care settings," said WSRCC President Aaron Mountain, who operates two adult family homes in Walla Walla. "All of their interest is in the institutional settings."

But the Federation leaders say they're worried about the survival of residential care.

"Without collective bargaining, adult family homes are just invisible and they'll probably disappear over time," said James Dannen, who oversees the Federation's organizing efforts.

Adult family homes are privately run businesses that are licensed by the state to care for frail, elderly or disabled people. Each home can take up to six clients.

Some homes take only people who pay out of pocket or with private insurance.

But about 2,000 operators take clients who are covered by state-funded long-term-care programs and Medicaid, a state-federal insurance program for low-income and disabled people. In all, those homes care for about 5,000 clients statewide.

Historically, Medicaid rates for adult family homes — which are set by the governor and the Legislature — have been much lower than for nursing homes or institutions.

Earlier this year, the Federation led the push in Olympia for a new law that gives Medicaid-funded adult-family-home operators collective-bargaining rights.

The legislation was modeled after similar laws approved during the past several years that enabled the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) to organize thousands of state-paid home health-care providers and privately owned child-care businesses.

The Federation last month turned in signature cards from hundreds of adult-family-home operators asking the state Public Employment Relations Commission to conduct an election on whether the union should represent them at the bargaining table.

But the WSRCC intervened. The group turned in enough signature cards to allow it to appear alongside the Federation on the ballot.

So earlier this month, the commission sent out ballots that give the adult-family-home operators three choices: Join the Federation, form a new union under the WSRCC, or do neither.

Ballots must be returned to the commission by Sept. 6 and will be tallied the next day.

Dannen says the WSRCC's real motive is to prevent adult family homes from unionizing. He pointed out that the group has hired a Seattle law firm that typically represents management in labor fights.

Day, the lobbyist, said adult-family-home operators need an organization with the Federation's muscle on their side.

Since winning broad new collective-bargaining powers for state employees five years ago, the Federation has doubled to about 40,000 members, raised millions in additional dues and dramatically increased its spending on lobbying and politics.

"The clout that brings to the table is incredible," Day said.

But Mary Lanier, who operates two adult family homes in Stanwood and Mount Vernon, said she has numerous concerns about being represented by the Federation.

Lanier said it makes her uncomfortable that the Federation already represents state employees who license and regulate adult family homes.

But she said her biggest worry is that the Federation would use dues money from adult family homes to push other causes, including protecting jobs at state-run institutions such as Fircrest.

"It's a huge conflict of interest," Lanier said.

Ralph Thomas: 360-943-9882 or rthomas@seattletimes.com