Syracuse's Domestic Workers "Finally" Getting a Break Rodney
Brown
Labor statistics (2010) show that, 95 percent of domestic workers are people of color; particularly- blacks and Latinos. They perform various duties that include housekeeping, child care and elderly care. It also noted that, 93 percent of domestic workers are women. The Human Rights Commission have reported that domestic workers are commonly subjected to abuses such as, forced servitude, substandard working conditions, restrictions that forbid them the right of assembly and association, domestic abuse, limitations on freedom of movement, privacy invasions, and limitations of freedom of expression. Several domestic workers from the cities of Syracuse and Rochester were willing to discuss abuses they were subjected to while performing their duties. Workers in Syracuse spoke about numerous incidences of discrimination and unwanted sexual advances by employers. They also complained about substandard working conditions and unwarranted verbal insults; which were noted as regular occurrences. A house keeper who lived with an elderly couple stated that, she wasn't allowed to sit at the same table or wash her clothes with their clothes. "Sometimes the food I cooked didn't taste good to them, and they would yell at me," she said. "They made me feel like they were my owner." "The habitual mistreatment by people who hire us suggests that, domestic workers are not worthy of being treated as human beings" said Sherry Davis of Rochester, a caregiver for the elderly. In addition, Ms. Davis recalled a recent incident when her former boss called her a nigger and stated "he could easily find another nigger to do her job." The insult transpired, after notifying him (former boss) three days in advance, she would not be coming in on that day because it was mandatory that she meet with her child's teacher. The legislation will not only balance the scale in regards to domestic workers "rights" but also how domestic workers are paid. New York will become the first state to guarantee domestic workers, overtime pay, as well as time off and protections against sexual harassment. According to the legislation, nannies, housekeepers and companions to the sick and elderly would get overtime pay after a 40-hour workweek and after 44 hours for those who live in their employer's homes.
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The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights guarantee- a day of rest, once he or she has
worked for the same employer for one year The legislation excludes casual workers like occasional house cleaners and baby sitters, relatives, and those working for outside agencies or providing services through government programs.
The New York Liberty Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) applauded the State Legislature for passing the bill. "For too long domestic workers have been excluded from basic labor protections, a legacy left over from the Jim Crow era," said NYCLU Executive Director, Donna Lieberman. "Domestic workers take care of New York's children, our sick and our aging parents and grandparents. They keep New York going." "For nearly a century, New York's domestic workers have been denied basic labor protections afforded to other workers, leaving them vulnerable to abuse and exploitation," Lieberman said. "It's hard to underestimate the importance of this victory for a group who has historically and systematically been denied basic labor rights for so long." Many lawmakers who supported the bill at its inception have publicly stated that the bill does not provide domestic workers with all protections but the final bill does include two-week notice of termination, paid sick days or the right to form a union. "The legislation is a significant victory nonetheless," said Assemblyman Keith Wright. "Domestic Workers care for children. They're almost like second parents," he said. "We got to start somewhere." "We believe this will be the beginning," said Savino, a Democrat from Staten Island who sponsored the Senate bill. "Like every other major change in labor law the federal government finally enacts, it always starts with the states." The
bill now awaits the governor signature who has been a strong supporter for the
passage of the bill. |