COLUMBUS — Gov. Ted Strickland signed an executive order Tuesday that gives collective bargaining rights to about 7,000 independent home health care workers and said he'll soon sign a similar order for child care workers.

Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, called it a huge step backward. He said, "Collective bargaining will drive up costs and decrease the state's buying power without any tangible proof that quality will be improved for those served."

Before the close of business, a union — SEIU 1199 — had requested the list of health care workers from the state and announced plans to organize them.

"We are the health care workers' union. We absolutely understand the issues of the long-term care workers," said Service Employees International Union 1199 Executive Vice President Becky Williams. "We have talked to this group for some time."

The order covers about 2,000 nurses and 5,000 direct care aides who are independent contractors not employed by the state or home health care agencies. They provide services to elderly or disabled patients and are paid through Medicaid, the state and federally funded health care program.

Currently, the direct care aides average about $15 an hour while the nurses make $55 an hour for the first hour and $25 an hour after that, Williams said. They have no vacation or health benefits and they have to pay their own taxes out of that, she said.

AARP Ohio wants to make sure that volunteers who care for elderly friends or family members aren't affected by the order, said Bill Sundermeyer, associate director for advocacy.

He added, "We recognize that there are serious problems with having sufficient workers to provide quality services in these areas. We recognize that's a result of low wages, inadequate benefits and a lack of respect and appreciation for the kind of work these people do." Those conditions are leading to unionization across the country and Strickland's order could have a positive impact on these issues, he said.

Strickland spokesman Keith Dailey said governors in Illinois, Michigan and Iowa have signed similar executive orders in the past. It's unclear when Strickland plans to sign the order covering child care workers.

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lbischoff@DaytonDailyNews.com.