Monday, July 30, 2012                                                   Contact: Tom Firth - 978-828-0877

MARTINEZ CHALLENGES OPPONENTS ON FORCING HOME DAYCARES TO BE UNIONIZED

Martinez Calls Legislation Anti-Woman Business 

Chelmsford, MA – Today Sandi Martinez, Republican candidate for State Senate in the Third Middlesex district, challenged her Republican and Democrat opponents  (Greg Howes, Mike Barrett, Alex Buck, Mara Dolan, Joe Kearns-Goodwin, and Joe Mullin) to publicly state their positions on the bill passed by the Senate last week that forces home daycare centers to become unionized  if they accept a child on a state voucher.

“This legislation, which is now on the Governor’s desk, is a prime example of how anti-business our state is.  Worse yet, this is an anti-women business measure” said Martinez.   

“Today I am challenging my opponents to state their position on this forced unionization.”

If the bill is signed into law, workers at home-based daycare centers along with the providers themselves will automatically become state employee if the center cares for one child receiving a state voucher.  Daycare workers and the owners will be forced to pay union dues. 

Martinez believer there are three possible outcomes if this bill goes into effect: daycare centers will raise their rates on parents, centers will no longer accept children on state vouchers or they will close their businesses.

She is also bothered by the fact that corporate daycare centers were exempt from this forced unionization. 

Proponents claim it will help ensure quality care and help increase the reimbursement rate for state vouchers.  Martinez says there are plenty of safeguards already in place for these centers.  “Daycare centers have to be open spot inspections.  If there is a problem, then the license can be immediately revoked,” said Martinez.  “If the legislature was so concerned about reimbursement rates, they could have raised them.  They did not have to force these small businesses into a state employee union.”

“We need a Senator who will stand up for the small businesses not run over them like a freight train,” adds Martinez.

Martinez wants to use her experience as an IT consultant to help improve the business climate in Massachusetts.  She also supports health care reforms and regulator reforms. 

Sandi Martinez is a member of the Republican State Committeewoman for Massachusetts Third Middlesex Senatorial District.  She has also served on many boards and committees, including seven years as a Chelmsford Town Meeting Member, eleven years on Chelmsford Youth Soccer Board, and is a Blue Star Mother (BSM), as well as the BSM Representative to the Bedford VA Hospital.

Martinez founded her own IT Consulting Company, providing consulting and contract services for IBM Mainframe customers, installing, tuning and troubleshooting operating systems and program products.  She lives in Chelmsford with Lou, her husband of 30 years, and they have four grown children, three of whom are serving or have served in the military – 2 active duty Marine sons, and a daughter who spent eight years in the Air Force.  Their youngest daughter is currently working as a researcher at the Joslin Diabetes Center, in Boston.

For more information on Sandi’s candidacy, voters can visit her website at www.SandiMartinez.com or call the HQ at 978-256-5513.

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