| On October 28th over sixty people gathered to hear Domestic Workers United present research regarding the need for and feasibility of collective bargaining for the domestic worker industry. In addition to a large contingent of DWU members, attendees came from JFSJ, the National Domestic Worker Alliance, the Urban Justice Center, and Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. The briefing also marked the major victory of the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, signed by Governor Paterson in September. While the Bill of Rights is a historic first step, it does not include several important benefits, including sick and vacation days and notice of termination. Instead the legislature commissioned the Department of Labor to study the feasibility of collective bargaining to achieve these benefits. DWU conducted parallel research. Partnering with the NDWA and the UJC, DWU surveyed domestic workers, and employers of domestic workers. The research confirmed that domestic workers are particularly vulnerable because they work in isolation for non-traditional employers. They are often at the whim of employers, and without the job security to advocate on their own behalf. Access to collective bargaining would increase stability in the domestic worker industry, facilitate enforcement of existing rights, and create clear standards for employers to follow. The research also identified models of collective bargaining that address the challenges of domestic workers, including: Neighborhood Based Community Standards, Model Contracts, and Multi-Employer Bargaining.
However, domestic workers are currently excluded from the State Labor Relations Act, the law which permits groups of workers to pursue collective bargaining. This exclusion, a segregation era holdover, prohibits domestic workers from pursuing collective bargaining. To include domestic workers, the legislature would have to amend one paragraph of the SLRA. DWU has a four part strategy for the future:
Working towards the inclusion of domestic workers in the SLRA to enable collective bargaining
Pursuit of legislative and regulatory reform as needed
Community education and enforcement of existing rights through community partnerships
Continuing to organize domestic workers For more information, check out domesticworkersunited.org! We’re so excited to see what happens next with this great organization! |
