Support the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights
- recipient: Governor Brown and the California State Senate
Domestic workers in this country were explicitly excluded from the Fair Labor Standards Act enacted in 1938 - a racist compromise with Southern members of Congress who refused to dignify the work of their primarily Black, formerly enslaved, household workers.
The shameful consequences of that failure remain more than seven decades later, and disproportionately affect the women, often women of color and immigrants, who typically perform this valuable work.
California is finally beginning to recognize that ALL domestic workers deserve basic labor protections. Assembly Bill 241 (AB241) - the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights - gives California the opportunity to proudly assert that we respect women and value their work equally.
AB241 will extend basic employment protections to domestic workers that most of us take for granted like meal and rest breaks and overtime pay.
Tell Governor Brown you support AB241 and domestic workers' rights!
Dear State lawmakers,
I am writing to express by support for AB241.
I believe that Domestic Workers deserve the same basic protections afforded all other workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act. I am ashamed that the racist legacy of excluding primarily Black domestic workers from labor protections still remains today.
[Your comments here]
Respect for domestic work is every Californian's concern. Over the years, as more women have entered the formal workforce, they have handed over unpaid domestic responsibilities to other women, often immigrants. Because of this important workforce, millions of women and men have been able to enter the professional workforce assured that their families' needs are being met.
California's Domestic Worker Bill of Rights will guarantee basic employment protections to domestic workers without placing untenable responsibilities on the families that depend on them. It's time to protect and embrace this growing sector of working women for their contributions to the California economy. Their work keeps this state's families safe, comfortable and healthy.
By enacting the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights, you can move forward the unfinished business of the civil rights, labor rights, and women's rights movements in California.
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
