Domestic Workers Fight For Bill of Rights

With the New York state legislature in Albany in chaos, we turn today to one of the bills whose future is at stake, the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. Its a bill that pertains to New York, but if it passes, it would be the first such bill in the country to challenge the exclusion of the nearly 2 million domestic workers country-wide from national labor law and set an important precedent for other states. The bill has several supporters in the Assembly and the Senate and on Thursday, Governor Paterson said he would sign the bill if it passes the legislature.

The bill would amend New York state labor law and guarantee the over 200,000 nannies and housekeepers in New York state a living wage, overtime pay, sick leave, severance and health benefits, and protection from employment discrimination.

The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights was drafted by members of the group Domestic Workers United five years ago. Today, notwithstanding the latest upheaval in the Senate, as the bill stands on the threshold of being taken up by the legislature, we are joined by a former nanny in New York city, originally from Barbados, and now a full-time organizer with Domestic Workers United.

Joycelyn Gill-Campbell, full-time organizer with domestic workers united, she is from Barbados and a former nanny in New York City.

Related Links

• Domestic Workers United

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