Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDomestic Workers Aren’t Members of the Family
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/09/21-1GRITtv was in Los Angeles this month, at the AFL-CIO Convention. This years meeting of the Nations largest labor federation was hailed as historic for a lot of reasons. There were more women and people of color there than ever before, lots of first-of-a-kind resolutions on things like incarceration and immigration, and lots of welcoming of non-union workers like domestic workers to the big old labor family.
Domestic workers were also at the heart of the big leap for labor rights which came immediately after the convention, when the Obama administration announced it will finally extend minimum wage and overtime protections to domestic workers, a change labor and community groups have pushed for.
Domestics have worked for poverty wages in miserable conditions in Americans homes, for ever. The Fair Labor Standards Act or FLSA, which big labor celebrates, excluded domestic workers, and retail and service workers, and farm laborers. They didnt call it special rights for white men, but thats what it amounted to. Even when FLSA was updated in the 70s, domestic workers were still excluded. Theyre not workers, the lawmakers said, theyre companions -- members of the family.
In LA, Lourdes Belagot Pablo, a 61 year old Philipina told GRITtv about what its like to companion sick elderly clients in their homes, round the clock, 24 hours a day in four-day shifts. If she gets two hours of un-interupted sleep the whole time, she's lucky.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
4 replies, 1474 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (30)
ReplyReply to this post
4 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Domestic Workers Aren’t Members of the Family (Original Post)
xchrom
Sep 2013
OP
niyad
(113,275 posts)1. k and r
Laelth
(32,017 posts)3. k&r for labor. n/t
-Laelth
Change has come
(2,372 posts)4. K&R