'Positive change in the face of skepticism and doubt'

by: Erica Brody

Fri Jul 02, 2010 at 15:33:02 PM EDT

Even as the New York state legislature offends those it represents by heading off into the holiday weekend without passing a budget -- now three months overdue -- they've done something fairly amazing this week, as noted yesterday on Jspot, something that sets just the kind of precedent that makes us happy.

Here's how New York's Governor Patterson descirbed it in a statement issued last night:

Today, both houses of the Legislature passed legislation that truly  deserves to be called historic. It would make New York the first State in the nation to enshrine in law the basic rights of a class of  workers that has historically and wrongfully been excluded from such  protections: the domestic workers who care for our children, clean our  homes, and provide the elderly with companionship. Their work is of  incalculable value, yet our laws have failed to recognize it. This  bill would change that, and serve as a model for such change on a national scale....

Most of all, I must express my  gratitude to the thousands of individual domestic workers who  organized and fought for this legislation. They provide all of us with  an example of how individuals can, through struggle and dedication,  bring about positive change in the face of skepticism and doubt. This  achievement belongs to them, and I will be pleased to sign it into law  on their behalf.

And while we're sad to see that a few of the bill's original provisions didn't make it into the final law, we're thrilled that 200,000 domestic workers will enjoy more rights, along with more of the same benefits and protections enjoyed by other workers, like worker compensation, anti-discrimination law, and access to unemployment insurance.

A huge congratulations to Domestic Workers United, a JFSJ grantee without which this victory might not be New York's to celebrate.