By Sandra Fluke on September 26, 2014



FLUKE CELEBRATES FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF DOMESTIC WORKER BILL OF RIGHTS SIGNAGE 

Worker Protection Law Has Already Helped Many California Working Families 

Sandra Fluke and other leaders who helped to pass this historic legislative victory celebrate today the one-year anniversary of the California Domestic Worker Bill of Rights becoming law. 

“I am thrilled to mark the anniversary of this law and want to congratulate the many organizers, workers and elected officials who worked for years to see it passed,” said Fluke. “This law has already helped many working families by recognizing the hard work of domestic caregivers and providing domestic workers the protections they deserve. And since the majority of domestic workers are women, this law is an important step to ensuring women receive equal pay for equal work. I’m proud of the coalition that worked to get this law passed, but we have more to do! We must ensure that workers and employers understand this important legislation, and that we finish what we began by enacting protections that guarantee domestic workers uninterrupted sleep, and meal and rest breaks as well.”

Ai-Jen Poo, recent recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant and advocate for women and low-wage workers, said: “California is now one of just four states to have a Domestic Worker Bill of Rights. While that's a huge step forward for California's domestic workers and something worthy of celebration today, it really highlights how much work there is still to do. For too long, domestic work was not recognized as ‘real work.’ Because it happens in the home, because the majority of domestic workers are women, the laws and our society have undervalued this work. The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights is the first step toward changing that and California’s working men and women are better for it - now we must continue to transform these jobs into 21st Century jobs we can take pride in."

Aquilina Soriano Versoza, Executive Director, Pilipino Workers Center of Southern California*, said: "One year ago, domestic workers in California were able to flex their muscles that they normally use for caring for California's homes, children and elders to stand up for their own right to be protected with overtime like all other workers.  This year, domestic workers are working hard to make sure that this right is actually realized in homes across the state by educating both workers and employers. Unfortunately, there are many still working for less than minimum wage without overtime. So beyond education, real enforcement also needs to happen. The California Domestic Workers Coalition will continue to work to make overtime protections permanent in this state and will continue to work until all domestic workers are treated with the respect and dignity that they deserve."

Rabbi Jonathan Klein, Executive Director, Clergy & Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE-LA) said: “Passing the Domestic Worker’s Bill of Rights was a long and arduous task, but because of the commitment of a dedicated coalition, California is now leading the nation as one of only a few states that gives these important rights to domestic workers. I hope the rest of the nation, and people of faith everywhere, will look at California as a model for how to lift up workers who deserve stronger protections.” 

The Domestic Worker Bill of Rights guarantees previously excluded workers the kind of over-time protections that most other workers have taken for granted for decades. The bill was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown on September 26, 2013 and went into effect on January 1, 2014. More information on the law can be found here: http://www.domesticworkers.org/sites/default/files/CABoR_Fact_Sheet.pdf

*for ID purposes only