Hey Folks
I would like to take this time to share in the reflection of this great time in history - today as we celebrate the legacy of Dr Martin Luther King JR we must remember and always embrace our freedoms as a people especially as a people of color - today we have a freedom that was only dreamed of in the day of MLK - this is the freedom that he dreamed of for us to be free at last - thank God Almighty we are free at last...
For the last 7 years I have been privileged enough to understand what it really means to fight for what I believe in and from this experience I am now able to understand why when we dont fight back and when we dont resist it means that everything is okay - so as a domestic worker in NYC working without basis labor protections I have to continue this fight - always with the memory of the many civil rights leaders who have set the pace for people like myself not to be afraid to stand up and fight the many injustices that still exsists
Domestic Workers United we have a dream that one day all work will be valued equally - because without the work of domestic and farm workers (the only 2 workers excluded from labor laws) this country cannot function - So today I ask for you help in standing up for the things you believe in - all we have to do is to lean on each other because we need each other to lean on in order to move forward
"I am not fearing any man - my eyes have seen the promise land" "I can no more see than for this country to get rid of the disease of racism"
Dr Martin Luther King JR
The struggle still continues....
President Barack Obama - your Presidency of the people is supported....
Allison - 2009 -
Peace & Love & Happiness
January 20, 2009
November 7, 2008
DWU Upcoming Events
TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT AND RECOGNIZE DOMESTIC WORKERS at the front lines of the financial crisis, working to make all other work possible . . .
THREE DOMESTIC WORKER BILL OF RIGHTS EVENTS YOU JUST SHOULDN'T MISS!
1. RALLY AND PRESS CONFERENCE - City Council Votes on Resolution to Support the NYS Domestic Workers Bill of Rights
Call upon New York City Councilmembers and local elected officials to take a stand in support of labor standards for New York's 200,000 domestic workers. Domestic workers are excluded from almost every major labor law; the financial crisis will hit those without a safety net the hardest. Act now to protect the workers who make all other work possible!
Thursday, November 13
11am-12:00 noon Rally and Press Conference
1:00-3:00 pm Vote inside City Hall
City Hall Steps
Enter on Broadway or Park Row
Take R/W to City Hall, the 4/5/6 to Brooklyn Bridge or 2/3 to Park Place
_____________________________________________________
2. NY State Assembly HEARING ON DOMESTIC WORK
Come hear testimony and recommendations from domestic workers, employers, academics and policy experts on the crisis in the domestic work industry and the solutions toward recognition, respect and basic rights for domestic workers.
Friday, November 21
11am-2pm
250 Broadway
Assembly Hearing Room
Take R/W to City Hall, 4/5/6 to Brooklyn Bridge or 2/3 to Park Place
____________________________________________________ ___________
3. CHILDREN'S VIGIL for the Human Rights of Domestic Workers
December 10 is International Human Rights Day. In honor of this day and the holiday season, show your solidarity with the children and families of domestic workers. This critical workforce supports 200,000 New York families as caregivers and housekeepers, yet works without a safety net, living wages or basic labor standards.
Their own children and families stand to suffer the most as the financial crisis hits. Stand up for respect and justice for domestic workers, call upon NYS legislators to act quickly, pass the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. Protect the workers who make all other work possible.
Sunday, December 7
11:30am-1:00pm
City Hall steps
Take R/W to City Hall, 4/5/6 to Brooklyn Bridge or 2/3 to Park Place
THREE DOMESTIC WORKER BILL OF RIGHTS EVENTS YOU JUST SHOULDN'T MISS!
1. RALLY AND PRESS CONFERENCE - City Council Votes on Resolution to Support the NYS Domestic Workers Bill of Rights
Call upon New York City Councilmembers and local elected officials to take a stand in support of labor standards for New York's 200,000 domestic workers. Domestic workers are excluded from almost every major labor law; the financial crisis will hit those without a safety net the hardest. Act now to protect the workers who make all other work possible!
Thursday, November 13
11am-12:00 noon Rally and Press Conference
1:00-3:00 pm Vote inside City Hall
City Hall Steps
Enter on Broadway or Park Row
Take R/W to City Hall, the 4/5/6 to Brooklyn Bridge or 2/3 to Park Place
_____________________________________________________
2. NY State Assembly HEARING ON DOMESTIC WORK
Come hear testimony and recommendations from domestic workers, employers, academics and policy experts on the crisis in the domestic work industry and the solutions toward recognition, respect and basic rights for domestic workers.
Friday, November 21
11am-2pm
250 Broadway
Assembly Hearing Room
Take R/W to City Hall, 4/5/6 to Brooklyn Bridge or 2/3 to Park Place
______________________________
3. CHILDREN'S VIGIL for the Human Rights of Domestic Workers
December 10 is International Human Rights Day. In honor of this day and the holiday season, show your solidarity with the children and families of domestic workers. This critical workforce supports 200,000 New York families as caregivers and housekeepers, yet works without a safety net, living wages or basic labor standards.
Their own children and families stand to suffer the most as the financial crisis hits. Stand up for respect and justice for domestic workers, call upon NYS legislators to act quickly, pass the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. Protect the workers who make all other work possible.
Sunday, December 7
11:30am-1:00pm
City Hall steps
Take R/W to City Hall, 4/5/6 to Brooklyn Bridge or 2/3 to Park Place
October 22, 2008
August 1, 2008
Reports from National Domestic Worker Congress
Written By: Gloria Esteva, leader at POWER (People Organized to Win Employment Rights) in San Francisco, CA. (english follows below). Photo by: Yona Paskova for the New York Times.
Mi experincia en el primer congreso de trabajadoras domesticas fue muy soprendente.porque a pesar de que para nosotras las fuimos de San Franncisco en carro atravezando todo el pais y estar canzadas,al llegar a las 2 de la madrugada a New Yor contemplar sus luces fue emocionante saber que llegabamos a tiempo. Pero tadas las luces de New York no tenian el brillo que los ojos de felicidad de nuestra companera Ai-heen al vernos llegar, asi mismo el gusto con que nos recibio en su casa esto nos ayudo mucho GRACIAS companera.
Al llegar al lugar donde empezo nuestro maravilloso congreso fue emocionante ver que ya estaban muchas companera de varias organizaciones lo mas interesante fue cuando empezaron los talleres y el intercambio de experiencias yo estuve en el taller de como usamos la cultura para organizar se menciono de que debiamos tomar en cuenta la cultura de la mayoria de nuestras miembras entre estas el ideoma con traduccion en las juntas la comida, los bailes asi mismo que no debemos permitir que nuestros hijos pierdan nuestra lengua espanol porque vimos que esto los aleja de nuestras familias tambien festejar a nuestros hijos con el dia del nino. nos une y festejar los exitos de nuestros ancestros. Lo importante que es acceder a la tecnologia proyectando nuestras culturas. Todos estuvimos de acuerdo con estos estos puntos, todo el congreso estuvo muy bien y sobre todo la eleccion de nuestro comite organizador y ademas la gran marcha que fue todo un exito sobre todo por la solidaridad de todas las organizaciones gracia a todos los que hicieron posible este congreso su trabajo rendira muchos frutos el ano que viene esperemos compatir mas exitos y lograremos mas organizaciones gracias Marisa por todo tu apoyo yo se que siempre contaremos contigo por favor siguenos escribiendo.
Gloria.
My experience at the first Domestic Workers Congress was very moving. Because despite the fact that we traveled cross country by car from San Francisco, arriving tired at 2 in the morning to contemplate the lights of New York, we were still excited to know we came on time. But all the lights of New York didn't have the brightness as those of the happy eyes of our compañera Ai-jen, who received us with much joy when she saw us arrive. With that same joy she received us in her home and helped us very much, THANK YOU compañera.
Upon arriving to the location of marvalous congress, it was exciting to see there were already compañeras from various organizations present. The most interesting was when we started the workshops and exchange of experiences. I participated in the workshop on how we all use culture to organize, it was mentioned that we should take culture in account, from translation, to the kind of food we have at meetings, dances, and also that we should not permit that our children lose our language of spanish because we've seen how this separates them from our family. We also talked about the need to celebrate Children's Day, the successes of continuing to celebrate our ancestors on Day of the Dead. How important it is to utilize technology to project our cultures. We all agreed with these oints, the whole congress was really good, above all the election of our coordinating committee and also the great march that was a total success. And also, the solidarity amongst the organizations. Thank you to everyone who made this Congress possible. Your work will generate many fruits in the coming year and we hope to share many more successes and accomplishments and more organizations. Thank you marisa for all of your support, i know we can count on you. Please let's keep in contact.
Gloria.
Mi experincia en el primer congreso de trabajadoras domesticas fue muy soprendente.porque a pesar de que para nosotras las fuimos de San Franncisco en carro atravezando todo el pais y estar canzadas,al llegar a las 2 de la madrugada a New Yor contemplar sus luces fue emocionante saber que llegabamos a tiempo. Pero tadas las luces de New York no tenian el brillo que los ojos de felicidad de nuestra companera Ai-heen al vernos llegar, asi mismo el gusto con que nos recibio en su casa esto nos ayudo mucho GRACIAS companera.
Al llegar al lugar donde empezo nuestro maravilloso congreso fue emocionante ver que ya estaban muchas companera de varias organizaciones lo mas interesante fue cuando empezaron los talleres y el intercambio de experiencias yo estuve en el taller de como usamos la cultura para organizar se menciono de que debiamos tomar en cuenta la cultura de la mayoria de nuestras miembras entre estas el ideoma con traduccion en las juntas la comida, los bailes asi mismo que no debemos permitir que nuestros hijos pierdan nuestra lengua espanol porque vimos que esto los aleja de nuestras familias tambien festejar a nuestros hijos con el dia del nino. nos une y festejar los exitos de nuestros ancestros. Lo importante que es acceder a la tecnologia proyectando nuestras culturas. Todos estuvimos de acuerdo con estos estos puntos, todo el congreso estuvo muy bien y sobre todo la eleccion de nuestro comite organizador y ademas la gran marcha que fue todo un exito sobre todo por la solidaridad de todas las organizaciones gracia a todos los que hicieron posible este congreso su trabajo rendira muchos frutos el ano que viene esperemos compatir mas exitos y lograremos mas organizaciones gracias Marisa por todo tu apoyo yo se que siempre contaremos contigo por favor siguenos escribiendo.
Gloria.
My experience at the first Domestic Workers Congress was very moving. Because despite the fact that we traveled cross country by car from San Francisco, arriving tired at 2 in the morning to contemplate the lights of New York, we were still excited to know we came on time. But all the lights of New York didn't have the brightness as those of the happy eyes of our compañera Ai-jen, who received us with much joy when she saw us arrive. With that same joy she received us in her home and helped us very much, THANK YOU compañera.
Upon arriving to the location of marvalous congress, it was exciting to see there were already compañeras from various organizations present. The most interesting was when we started the workshops and exchange of experiences. I participated in the workshop on how we all use culture to organize, it was mentioned that we should take culture in account, from translation, to the kind of food we have at meetings, dances, and also that we should not permit that our children lose our language of spanish because we've seen how this separates them from our family. We also talked about the need to celebrate Children's Day, the successes of continuing to celebrate our ancestors on Day of the Dead. How important it is to utilize technology to project our cultures. We all agreed with these oints, the whole congress was really good, above all the election of our coordinating committee and also the great march that was a total success. And also, the solidarity amongst the organizations. Thank you to everyone who made this Congress possible. Your work will generate many fruits in the coming year and we hope to share many more successes and accomplishments and more organizations. Thank you marisa for all of your support, i know we can count on you. Please let's keep in contact.
Gloria.
June 30, 2008
Bill of Rights Recap - 2008 Legislative Session
June 23rd marked the closing of the 2008 Legislative Session, and with it, it concludes our fourth year of our fight to win a New York Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights would amend state labor law to provide much needed labor protections for the more than 200,000 women working as nannies, housekeepers and elderly caregivers.
At the beginning of the year, we had high hopes for our bill and were focused on moving it forward. Our first visit to Albany set the theme for the rest of the session, where the advice was: You need to bring more people to show the support this bill has. You need to demonstrate this very visually to the legislators here in Albany.
We took that advice and ran with it. Setting off to mobilize hundreds of Bill of Rights supporters, we organized two Days of Action in Albany. We reached out to our closest allies. We sought the support of new groups and individuals - in universities, church congregations, and in community presentations. Prep trainings were offered to everyone participating. And with the help of our NYU law students, we were able to schedule over 100 meetings with legislators over the course of the two days. With the motto, ‘It’s about time we have our time,’ we mobilized more than 550 supporters on April 15th and May 20th, more than doubling our numbers in previous years combined. We agitated, we educated and pushed for the passage of our Bill. And, the Domestic Slide was born!
Challenges
During the session we also encountered several challenges. Some of the provisions of the Bill of Rights are commonly found in collective bargaining agreements, and legislators feel that passing a law including these provisions would equal giving domestic workers ‘special treatment’. The second key issue is one of strategy -- some legislators think that the bill should be broken up and fought for incrementally, in smaller pieces.
Our response was to make the case that this industry is unique, and therefore the traditional means of establishing labor standards and protections through collective bargaining simply doesn’t work. It has been 73 years since the passage of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRB), which essentially formed the basis of worker protections in this country. Domestic workers were excluded from these protections. This historical exclusion along with numerous others has permitted the discrimination of domestic workers and it must be reversed. Yet the solution cannot solely involve the inclusion of domestic workers in the NLRB, because in fact, this industry is uniquely structured to prevent collective bargaining as we know it. There is no one employer for workers to negotiate with. There are over 200,000 workers, and there are the same amount of employers. And the workplaces are dispersed behind unknown doors throughout the metropolitan area. Any worker who tries, under such conditions, to negotiate for a paid holiday that her employer is not willing to provide, risks losing her job. There is no collective, and no bargaining power. In an industry where workers have little to no leverage in negotiating with their employers, an approach of ‘a little at a time’ will continue to subject domestic workers to unfair and unjust working conditions. The labor of domestic workers has gone unrecognized for too long. It’s been long enough.
Still, we haven’t been unwilling to negotiate and compromise with legislators. In this session alone we made three key changes to our bill to respond to legislators’ concerns without doing away with the spirit of the bill, including the removal of the Family and Medical Leave provisions, changing the applicability of the Bill to the Metropolitan Area, and including the Healthy New York program in our health care provision for the bill.
As this legislative session closes, the Bill [A628B] is still awaiting a vote in the Labor Committee. Assemblywoman Susan John, Chair of the Labor Committee has proposed alternative legislation, which would provide both farm workers and domestic workers with overtime pay and one day of rest per week. We support this effort, and we maintain that the Bill of Rights and its core components are the ultimate solution. Assemblywoman John has made a commitment to continue working with us to move the Bill forward.
Accomplishments
With the challenges and the lessons have also come many accomplishments. Here are some developments we’re particularly excited about:
• Strong Support from More People
This session we were successful in bringing more domestic workers and more supporters into the fight. In particular, faith communities, young people and students all played more visible roles. Labor has continued to be a key ally. We were joined this year by top labor leaders, including AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, whose own mother was a domestic worker for 40 years, and Roger Toussaint, President of TWU Local 100. A busload of UFCW Local 1500 members joined May 20, UAW members primed the hallways for us on April 15 and SEIU Local 32BJ continued in their support for our work. And on top of all the new support, we continue to be able to count on allies who have stood with us throughout: Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, Jobs with Justice, Immigrant Justice Solidarity Project and all the members of the New York Domestic Workers Justice Coalition – including CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities, Damayan Migrant Workers Association, Andolan Organizing South Asian Workers, Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees and Unity Housecleaners of Long Island. Together we demonstrated tremendous power in our demands for justice.
• Legislative sponsorship
Early this session, we received a great honor – we were presented with an award by the Black and Latino Legislators Association during Caucus weekend in mid-February. This was the beginning of a groundswell of support from legislators, following 2 high visibility days of action, led by members of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus, and followed by members of the Labor Committee and throughout the legislature. We closed the legislative session with 60 co-sponsors in the Assembly. And, Senator Maltese signed on as our Senate sponsor.
• Active Solidarity with Farm Workers
On March 4, domestic workers and farm workers joined together with the Labor-Religion Coalition for their annual 40-hour fast, this year highlighting immigrant worker rights. From that day forward, domestic workers and farm workers worked together closely, supporting one another’s efforts to win respect and reverse the legacy of injustice that has been our fate since the 1930’s. On May 20, the two groups of workers rallied jointly, bringing together workers and supporters from around the state in a call to action. These efforts have resulted in the passage of a measure to provide overtime pay and a day of rest to both farm workers and domestic workers in the Labor Committee. The power of this solidarity will continue to build as we prepare for the next legislative session.
• Visibility in the Media
At the end of this session, an editorial in the Sunday New York Times appeared in support of the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. The following day, a long story appeared in the Metro Section of the NY Times, detailing the stories of domestic workers around the country who participated in the first National Domestic Workers Congress, including a photo of a march where participants of the Congress and over 300 supporters marched from City Hall together for the Bill of Rights.
Next steps
The end of the legislative session does not mean our work for the year has ended. Now is the time for the groundwork to take place, the education, the basebuilding, the leadership development, the reflection, assessment and strategy development. We hope that you will take the time and breathing room to think about new communities and constituencies to mobilize in this historic movement for justice in our state. Collect postcards and letters of endorsement and support for the Bill of Rights, schedule discussions and presentations about domestic work in a school, church or community near you. Write an op ed in your local newspaper about what the Bill of Rights means to you. Schedule an in district meeting with your legislator about the Bill of Rights. Prepare to join DWU in the summer and fall for actions in support of workers who have been abused by their employers. And get ready for the fight next session, when we bring our moral message for justice and respect, and our collective power to bear in a sustained campaign of action, education and more action until we see a victory! Are you with us? We know you are!
There are too many people to thank for all that we have accomplished this year, but we would like to acknowledge a few – Richard Winsten, Jacqueline Williams, and Julie Ruttan of Meyer, Suozzi, English and Klein, Ed Ott, NYC Central Labor Council, Susan Borenstein of the AFL-CIO, Jeannine Johnson and Assemblyman Keith Wright, Jobs with Justice, Brooklyn Congregations United, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, NYU Immigrant Rights Law Clinic, Center for Constitutional Rights, Urban Justice Center, Third World Newsreel, all those who participated in the Albany Days of Action, the Justice for Farmworkers Campaign, and many more. . .
At the beginning of the year, we had high hopes for our bill and were focused on moving it forward. Our first visit to Albany set the theme for the rest of the session, where the advice was: You need to bring more people to show the support this bill has. You need to demonstrate this very visually to the legislators here in Albany.
We took that advice and ran with it. Setting off to mobilize hundreds of Bill of Rights supporters, we organized two Days of Action in Albany. We reached out to our closest allies. We sought the support of new groups and individuals - in universities, church congregations, and in community presentations. Prep trainings were offered to everyone participating. And with the help of our NYU law students, we were able to schedule over 100 meetings with legislators over the course of the two days. With the motto, ‘It’s about time we have our time,’ we mobilized more than 550 supporters on April 15th and May 20th, more than doubling our numbers in previous years combined. We agitated, we educated and pushed for the passage of our Bill. And, the Domestic Slide was born!
Challenges
During the session we also encountered several challenges. Some of the provisions of the Bill of Rights are commonly found in collective bargaining agreements, and legislators feel that passing a law including these provisions would equal giving domestic workers ‘special treatment’. The second key issue is one of strategy -- some legislators think that the bill should be broken up and fought for incrementally, in smaller pieces.
Our response was to make the case that this industry is unique, and therefore the traditional means of establishing labor standards and protections through collective bargaining simply doesn’t work. It has been 73 years since the passage of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRB), which essentially formed the basis of worker protections in this country. Domestic workers were excluded from these protections. This historical exclusion along with numerous others has permitted the discrimination of domestic workers and it must be reversed. Yet the solution cannot solely involve the inclusion of domestic workers in the NLRB, because in fact, this industry is uniquely structured to prevent collective bargaining as we know it. There is no one employer for workers to negotiate with. There are over 200,000 workers, and there are the same amount of employers. And the workplaces are dispersed behind unknown doors throughout the metropolitan area. Any worker who tries, under such conditions, to negotiate for a paid holiday that her employer is not willing to provide, risks losing her job. There is no collective, and no bargaining power. In an industry where workers have little to no leverage in negotiating with their employers, an approach of ‘a little at a time’ will continue to subject domestic workers to unfair and unjust working conditions. The labor of domestic workers has gone unrecognized for too long. It’s been long enough.
Still, we haven’t been unwilling to negotiate and compromise with legislators. In this session alone we made three key changes to our bill to respond to legislators’ concerns without doing away with the spirit of the bill, including the removal of the Family and Medical Leave provisions, changing the applicability of the Bill to the Metropolitan Area, and including the Healthy New York program in our health care provision for the bill.
As this legislative session closes, the Bill [A628B] is still awaiting a vote in the Labor Committee. Assemblywoman Susan John, Chair of the Labor Committee has proposed alternative legislation, which would provide both farm workers and domestic workers with overtime pay and one day of rest per week. We support this effort, and we maintain that the Bill of Rights and its core components are the ultimate solution. Assemblywoman John has made a commitment to continue working with us to move the Bill forward.
Accomplishments
With the challenges and the lessons have also come many accomplishments. Here are some developments we’re particularly excited about:
• Strong Support from More People
This session we were successful in bringing more domestic workers and more supporters into the fight. In particular, faith communities, young people and students all played more visible roles. Labor has continued to be a key ally. We were joined this year by top labor leaders, including AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, whose own mother was a domestic worker for 40 years, and Roger Toussaint, President of TWU Local 100. A busload of UFCW Local 1500 members joined May 20, UAW members primed the hallways for us on April 15 and SEIU Local 32BJ continued in their support for our work. And on top of all the new support, we continue to be able to count on allies who have stood with us throughout: Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, Jobs with Justice, Immigrant Justice Solidarity Project and all the members of the New York Domestic Workers Justice Coalition – including CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities, Damayan Migrant Workers Association, Andolan Organizing South Asian Workers, Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees and Unity Housecleaners of Long Island. Together we demonstrated tremendous power in our demands for justice.
• Legislative sponsorship
Early this session, we received a great honor – we were presented with an award by the Black and Latino Legislators Association during Caucus weekend in mid-February. This was the beginning of a groundswell of support from legislators, following 2 high visibility days of action, led by members of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus, and followed by members of the Labor Committee and throughout the legislature. We closed the legislative session with 60 co-sponsors in the Assembly. And, Senator Maltese signed on as our Senate sponsor.
• Active Solidarity with Farm Workers
On March 4, domestic workers and farm workers joined together with the Labor-Religion Coalition for their annual 40-hour fast, this year highlighting immigrant worker rights. From that day forward, domestic workers and farm workers worked together closely, supporting one another’s efforts to win respect and reverse the legacy of injustice that has been our fate since the 1930’s. On May 20, the two groups of workers rallied jointly, bringing together workers and supporters from around the state in a call to action. These efforts have resulted in the passage of a measure to provide overtime pay and a day of rest to both farm workers and domestic workers in the Labor Committee. The power of this solidarity will continue to build as we prepare for the next legislative session.
• Visibility in the Media
At the end of this session, an editorial in the Sunday New York Times appeared in support of the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. The following day, a long story appeared in the Metro Section of the NY Times, detailing the stories of domestic workers around the country who participated in the first National Domestic Workers Congress, including a photo of a march where participants of the Congress and over 300 supporters marched from City Hall together for the Bill of Rights.
Next steps
The end of the legislative session does not mean our work for the year has ended. Now is the time for the groundwork to take place, the education, the basebuilding, the leadership development, the reflection, assessment and strategy development. We hope that you will take the time and breathing room to think about new communities and constituencies to mobilize in this historic movement for justice in our state. Collect postcards and letters of endorsement and support for the Bill of Rights, schedule discussions and presentations about domestic work in a school, church or community near you. Write an op ed in your local newspaper about what the Bill of Rights means to you. Schedule an in district meeting with your legislator about the Bill of Rights. Prepare to join DWU in the summer and fall for actions in support of workers who have been abused by their employers. And get ready for the fight next session, when we bring our moral message for justice and respect, and our collective power to bear in a sustained campaign of action, education and more action until we see a victory! Are you with us? We know you are!
There are too many people to thank for all that we have accomplished this year, but we would like to acknowledge a few – Richard Winsten, Jacqueline Williams, and Julie Ruttan of Meyer, Suozzi, English and Klein, Ed Ott, NYC Central Labor Council, Susan Borenstein of the AFL-CIO, Jeannine Johnson and Assemblyman Keith Wright, Jobs with Justice, Brooklyn Congregations United, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, NYU Immigrant Rights Law Clinic, Center for Constitutional Rights, Urban Justice Center, Third World Newsreel, all those who participated in the Albany Days of Action, the Justice for Farmworkers Campaign, and many more. . .
June 18, 2008
the Nanny Diaries
Quite recently while walking down the street I saw an ad on a pole which read "Dog Walker for hire, $12 for half and $20 for a hour". When i saw this i had a terrible feeling within my gut to see that employers do not want to pay their Domestic worker a livable wage for taking care of their prized possession (namely their children) but they are willing to pay $20 a hour to have their dog walked. Thinking about this for a moment then clearly made me realise what or who they consider their prized possession. Here in a Global City like New York domestic Workers are treated less than human beings yet they continue to do the work that make all other work possible allowing their employers to go to work and have leisure time. Some domestic workers earn as little as $250 per week, some cant even afford to pay their or afford the necessity of a telephone. With no laws to protect us, no right to collective bargaining and no right to organize we are left at the whim of these employers. It is about time that we be given respect and recognition for the work we do , as a former proud nanny (who contributed a lot into educating and building a solid foundation for those in my care) i can identify some of the abuse and exploitation workers faced within this industry. There is a solution to these problems, this solution is The Domestic Workers Bill Of Rights it is about time this bill be pass to reverse the history of injustice that Domestic workers face, it is about respect, recognity and dignity ,it is about fair labour standards and most of all its about HUMANITY.
the Nanny Diaries
While working as a nanny, one day I was not feeling well so I went to the doctor. He told me my Blood Pressure was HIGH and recommended I rest for one(1) week. When I returned home I called my employer and told her that the Doctor gave me a week off from work because I was not feeling well and my pressure was high and Oh Boy, she hit the roof she said why did he give you a week off, when you are sick you do not want a week off you only need a day, what am I going to do with these children. I told her I have a sick paper from the Doctor and she said she does not want it she just need me to come to work, I told her I would not be out that and she said well I am not paying you ,I took the week and rested and when I returned I was not paid for the week. (Talk about Injustice,)
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