Time for a Federal Law Protecting Domestic Workers

FEATURING MARIANA VITURRO – Senator Kamala Harris of California and Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington have just introduced a federal Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. There are already eight states and one city – Seattle – that have passed similar bills.

Harris and Jayapal, together with Ai Jen Poo of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

According to The Nation, the federal bill, “would ensure that domestic workers are covered by some basic labor laws: the right to overtime pay when they put in more than 40 hours a week, to the protections of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, to form unions, and to recourse against harassment and discrimination. It also extends new ones, such as the right to meal and rest breaks, paid sick days, advanced notice of scheduling, written agreements, and privacy and other protections for live-in workers.”

Mariana Viturro, Deputy Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.