Report from Domestic Workers United Week of Action

Below is a message sent out from our friends in New York City, Domestic Workers United. They have been organizing for a Domestic Worker Bill of Rights in New York State to protect the rights of domestic workers.

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REPORT FROM A POWERFUL WEEK - Building Power, Building Movement



A POWERFUL WEEK OF ACTION AND MOVEMENT-BUILDING

**Thank you for being part of it **

The five-year campaign for the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights reached
new heights this week, mobilizing over 2000 people, 100 organizations,
and congregations around the state and country, towards labor
standards, respect and dignity for domestic workers. Joined by
representatives of the National Domestic Workers Alliance from Houston,
Los Angeles, Baltimore, Washington DC, Oakland and San Francisco, the
week launched a national effort to win in New York.

The kick-off event, "The Jewish Community Stands with Domestic Workers
- A Shalom Bayit Public Forum," organized by Jews for Racial and
Economic Justice and partner organizations, brought together 300
supporters, including 6 Jewish Senators and Assemblymembers, leaders
and rabbis from Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist
Jewish communities, all to rally in support of the Domestic Workers'
Bill of Rights.  Elected officials in attendance made public
commitments to push leadership to bring the bill to the floor for a
vote in the legislature, and to provide ongoing assistance in lobbying
other legislators to support the bill.  Also in attendance was a
representative from Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's office, who
conveyed the energy of the crowd back to the Speaker, setting the stage
for success in Albany on Tuesday.

On Saturday morning, a rousing March for Respect, through the Upper
East Side, "where Wall Street lives and domestic workers labor"
mobilized 400 people, and followed a "Day in the Life" of a domestic
worker, from the train, to Central Park, to a gourmet grocery where
UFCW Local 1500 has identified poor working conditions and workers are
organizing, to a playground on York Avenue. Joined by union members,
community activists like Kevin Powell, community organizations like
Picture the Homeless,   and accompanied by the sounds of Rude
Mechanical Orchestra, the march highlighted the conditions, hopes and
dreams of domestic workers, particularly in the wake of the economic
crisis.

Later that evening, Lisa Ramirez's powerful benefit performance of
"Exit Cuckoo," raised awareness and funds, through a moving and complex
account of the world of domestic work in New York - including the
voices of mothers and nannies.  The post-performance "Talk Back" with
the audience brought together domestic worker leaders in a discussion
about domestic worker organizing across the country.

On Sunday, organized by the Poverty Initiatve of the Union Theological
Seminary - domestic workers and pastors spoke truth to power in the
pulpits, in Long Island, Westchester, Manhattan and Brooklyn, raising
awareness among congregations about the struggles of the over 200,000
women whose work makes all other work possible in New York.

On Monday, hundreds of calls came into Albany from around the country -
mobilized by National Jobs with Justice, through their Get Active email
call to action, alerting members of the legislature to the Bill of
Rights, in preparation for the arrival of our delegates in the
following day's action.

On Tuesday, hundreds of domestic workers
and supporters boarded buses at 6:30 am from New York City, to take
action in Albany in a big push to move the Domestic Workers Bill of
Rights onto the agenda of both houses of the New York State legislature
for a vote. Organized in twenty-seven legislative teams, participants
met with 80 legislators, including Speaker of the Assembly Sheldon
Silver and Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, both of whom gave very
positive responses to our teams, about the prospects of moving the Bill
toward passage this year.

Our National Leadership Delegation for the Albany Day of Action,
including bestselling author Barbara Ehrenreich, Hector Figueroa of
SEIU Local 32BJ, Saket Soni of the New Orleans Workers Center for
Racial Justice, Sarita Gupta of National Jobs with Justice, Guillermina
Castellanos of Coletiva, La Raza Centro Legal in San Francisco and the
National Domestic Workers Alliance, Ed Ott of the New York City Central
Labor Council, and Romeo Ramirez of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers,
Marisa Franco of the Right to the City Alliance and Gayle Kirschenbaum
of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice's Employer's for Justice
Network, helped launch the National Campaign for the Domestic Workers
Bill of Rights, highlighting the national implications of the Bill as
the first bill of its kind in the entire nation to recognize domestic
work.

On Wednesday, in the Long Island Council of Churches, Long Island Jobs
with Justice, Workplace Project, Unity Housecleaners, and the Long
Island Federation of Labor,  held a press conference in Hempstead
uniting domestic workers, labor, faith and student leaders to urge the
support of Long Island legislators for the Bill of Rights.

The National Week of Action won meetings with key decision-makers, at
least 12 new co-sponsors, raising our number of co-sponsors in the
Senate to 25, and 70 in the Assembly, with more co-sponsors signing on
every day.  There is unprecedented momentum toward the passage of the
Bill of Rights this legislative session.  It could not have happened
without the domestic workers, students, union members, community and
faith leaders and organizers, youth, workers, tenants, artists,
congregants, and employers who made a commitment to take action. Thank
you for helping to build this movement for justice and respect for all
work.

Stay tuned for the next actions - only 6 weeks left to get on the agenda this legislative session!  Onward to victory. . . .

Please check out this web page with news media related to the week of action.

http://domesticworkersbillofrights.pbworks.com/Recent-Press



Solidarity Forever,

Domestic Workers United

Domestic Workers United