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What is the Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights?

The Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights will reform New York State law to guarantee basic work standards and protections for the nannies, caregivers, and housekeepers who keep New York families functioning and make all other work possible. The Bill of Rights is a comprehensive response to domestic workers’ vulnerability to abuse and mistreatment, and works to counter domestic workers’ exclusion from most labor protections.

The provisions in the Bill of Rights were generated by members of Domestic Workers United, who gathered together in 2004 to envision what fair labor standards for domestic workers in New York would look like. Domestic workers often confront a lawless working environment where low pay, long hours, no health care or sick leave, and arbitrary treatment are the norm. Working in the isolation of private homes, behind closed doors, an epidemic of physical and mental abuse plagues the domestic work industry. The Bill will ensure domestic workers are provided a limited number of paid sick days, personal days, and vacation days; advance termination notice and severance pay; yearly cost-of-living adjustments to their salaries; full overtime pay for any work over 40 hours per week; one day of rest per week; protection from employment discrimination; and health benefits. The text of the bill itself is available here: http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A01470&sh=t.

Who is leading this campaign?

The campaign to pass the bill is being led by Domestic Workers United and its partner organizations. It is being supported by a large number of community and labor groups throughout New York State, including the Shalom Bayit ("Peace in the Home") campaign of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. Together, these groups recently completed a National Week of Action, including forums, rallies, theater performances and a trip to Albany to lobby the Legislature to pass the Bill of Rights. The media coverage of these events can be found on our Press page.

What can I do to help the Bill Pass?

Thank you for your help! You can visit our Take Action page, which provides contact info for the full Roster of Assembly Members and Senators in the New York State Legislature. In the Assembly, the bill is being sponsored by Assemblymember Keith Wright. Its co-sponsors in the 2009 legislative session are Assemblymembers Clark, Greene, Peralta, Colton, Diaz, Farrell, McEneny, Perry, Robinson, Towns, Rosenthal, Ortiz, Kavanagh, Lopez V, O'Donnell, Schimel, Lancman, Alessi, Zebrowski, and Camara. The bill's multi-sponsors are Assemblymembers Benjamin, Boyland, Espaillat, Glick, Heastie, Hooper, Jacobs, Kellner, Lavine, Lupardo, Markey, Millman, Pheffer, Reilly, Rivera N, Rivera P, Sweeney, Titus, and Weisenberg.

In the Senate, the bill's sponsor is Senator Diane Savino. Its co-sponsors are Senators Joseph Addabbo, Neil Breslin, Thomas Duane, Suzi Oppenheimer, Kevin Parker, Eric Schneiderman, and Daniel Squadron.