By Sunita Sohrabji<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BURBANK, California \u2014 Domestic workers in the US are underpaid and over-utilized, but are largely exempt from protection by labor laws, said Ai-Jen Poo, President of National Domestic Workers Alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The well-known labor rights activist is currently heading up a campaign to pass the National Domestic Workers Bill of Right<\/u>s<\/a>. The bill was introduced in the House by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, and in the Senate by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, and Ben Lujan, D-New Mexico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In April, the NDWA \u2014 in collaboration with the Care Can\u2019t Wait coalition \u2014 won a major victory: President Joe Biden issued 50 executive orders directed at improving care and protections for domestic workers. April has been designated Care Workers Recognition Month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAcross America, care workers help raise our children, assist seniors as they age with dignity, and support people with disabilities, giving families peace of mind and making it possible for millions of Americans to earn a paycheck while their loved ones are safe and secure,\u201d said Biden in a statement announcing the executive orders. \u201cThese unsung heroes strengthen our communities and form the backbone of our nation\u2019s economy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The president noted that domestic workers are among the lowest paid workers in the US economy, and often juggle multiple jobs while struggling to care for their own households.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFamily care givers are especially overstretched,\u201d said Poo July 19, speaking at The SCAN Foundation\u2019s first Advancing Health Equity in Aging summit. \u201cOther countries have a social safety net. We use workers to take care of our families, but they are grossly underpaid, have no sick time, and sometimes no days off,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have worked to make childcare and elder care good paying jobs, with access to medical leave and paid time off. The progress has been slow and incremental,\u201d said Poo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Poo has worked on labor rights issues since 1996, and was the 2014 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, also known as a \u201cGenius Grant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The NDWA was established in 2007. It achieved its first victory three years later, when the state of New York passed the nation\u2019s first-ever Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new law<\/u><\/a> provided comprehensive employment benefits to domestic workers, including overtime pay, paid vacation, sick time, and health insurance coverage. The legislation was revised in 2021 to add additional protections including provisions for undocumented workers, who often face wage theft by their employers. In New York, domestic workers are defined as full-time nannies, au pairs<\/em>, housekeepers, and the caretakers of elderly people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Poo spoke about the power of hearing directly from people she hoped to impact. \u201cWhen we first set out to rewrite labor laws in New York, we realized we had to ask domestic workers what they really needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The NDWA set up a conference, reaching out to potential attendees at churches, parks, and other venues. \u201cWe listened to each one of them for hours,\u201d she said, noting \u201cthere were interpreters in seven languages.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cListening to people really helped us win. You have to engage with people who have the most at stake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Poo shared her credo: \u201cListen to learn, not confirm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nLow Pay, No Sick Leave<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Workers Bill of Rights<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Value of Stories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
State Legislation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n