| The new movie “The Help,” based on Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling book of the same name, tells the stories of black nannies and housekeepers in the 1960’s and the indignities that they experienced working for white families in the Jim Crow South. At first glance, this might seem to be an interesting but isolated tale that no longer holds relevance today. However, fifty years later, the mistreatment of domestic workers and caregivers continues. Not covered by most labor laws, domestic workers can be and too often are underpaid and overworked, with little legal recourse, and subjected to many other forms of abuse. The comparison is beautifully made in this new YouTube video from the National Domestic Workers Alliance available here. It showcases the stories of today’s domestic workers and explains the importance of these jobs to their families – as over half are primary earners – and to the families they care for. One of the most shocking facts revealed is that 16 percent of today’s domestic workers are not paid for their work at all. Thankfully, the tide is beginning to turn. Spearheaded by Domestic Workers United, and in partnership with Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, last year New York became the first state in the nation to pass a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. Now a broad coalition of organizations including the California Domestic Workers Coalition, PJA & JFSJ and the National Domestic Workers Alliance is pushing to see California adopt similar legislation. For more information about the California Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, click here. Large groups of domestic workers all around California are attending screenings of “The Help” to tell viewers about their fight to pass the California Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. You can support domestic workers by writing a letter to the editor advocating for better labor protections. Click here to find your local newspaper, customize a letter, and submit it online. For more information about the Caring Across Generations campaign click here. |
