Globe Article Details Plight of Domestic Workers at State House Hearing: NE JLC Turns Out to Support the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights

 By Beth Healy

GLOBE STAFF

NOVEMBER 13, 2013

Sonia Soares was cleaning 45 houses a week. Sometimes customers insisted that she scrub floors on her hands and knees. One client actually kicked her out of the way one day, while she was scrubbing.“I knew at that point that only I could fight for my dignity,” Soares told lawmakers Tuesday at a State House hearing on a proposed Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights.The bill, cosponsored by Representative Michael J. Moran, a Democrat from Brighton, and Senator Anthony W. Petruccelli, an East Boston Democrat, would provide basic protections for 67,000 nannies, caregivers, and housekeepers in the state. It would require, among other things, that people sign contracts with those caring for their children or their homes, agreeing on precise duties, pay, time off, sick time, and other matters.The bill also would expand legal protections for home workers by allowing them to file complaints with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination if they are harassed or abused.Dozens of domestic workers, their advocates, and labor leaders, packed the hearing room Tuesday.

A number of them testified about poor treatment at the hands of some employers. Many described long hours and hard work done somewhat in the shadows, because they are working in private homes without the standards and protocols of a larger workplace.Often these workers, mostly women, are fearful of losing their jobs should they complain about their conditions, advocates said. Those who live with the families they work for can end up homeless if they are fired. 

DAVID L. RYAN/GLOBE STAFF 

Some members of the Massachusetts Coalition for Domestic Workers held a rally in the State House in support of a Domestic Workers Bill of RightsPaola Garcia, a Columbia native who lives in Boston, said she was denied sick time by a family with whom she lived for five years, caring for their three children - and her own daughter.She said she worked 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., six days a week, with only eight hours off on Saturday.She said she once went to the dentist for a root canal on her only day off, returning home from the appointment with a swollen face and in pain. Her employer, who was not named at the hearing, had a party to go to and asked her to take the kids out for pizza, she said."Working that many hours for so many years without a full day of rest in the week, or the right to go see a doctor when you need it, is wrong,'' Garcia said.Garcia wanted to leave, but there was a lot on the line: The employer had been "saving" $200 of her $600 paycheck each week for 2½ years, to give to her later in a lump sum. When she finally quit, the family did not pay her the money, which by then added up to thousands of dollars, she said.Steven Tolman, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO labor group, urged legislators to move the bill forward, asking, "Who would oppose standards, basic standards of dignity and humanity?''He said they should make sure "that indentured service doesn't exist here in Massachusetts, that slavery doesn't exist here in Massachusetts.''Two professional women also testified about the need for protections for domestic workers, saying those workers were vital to their ability to pursue careers. Eleanor Shore, a physician and former dean of faculty affairs at Harvard Medical School, said her family had employed the same woman for 49 years."My professional career would not have been possible without the excellent dedicated child care and household assistance she provided,'' Shore said.Lydia Edwards, director of legal services at the Brazilian Immigrant Center in Boston, frequently represents domestic workers in disputes with their employers.She said many of the problems involved "job creep,'' an increase in work hours and tasks without extra pay. In the most extreme cases, she said, workers are subjected to sexual harassment or fired unfairly.Gaps in the current law leave "domestic workers who work in isolation and behind closed doors vulnerable to exploitation and abuse,'' Edwards said in her testimony.California, Hawaii, and New York have passed similar bills of rights, according to advocates for the workers.The measure, if approved by the Legislature's Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, would likely go before other committees before being considered by the full House or Senate.Beth Healy can be reached at Beth.Healy@globe.com.http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/11/13/domestic-workers-testify-state-house-hearing-for-bill-rights/OQcfI3dlKrEmvcf9k8EdDJ/story.html 

Tuesday, November 12, Hearing on Domestic Workers Bill of Rights

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

10:00 AM

(Press Conference at 9:30 am)

MA Statehouse, Room B-1

Public Hearing before the Joint Labor and Workforce Development

Committee on the MA Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights!

Domestic workers are the backbone of our economy. Nannies, caregivers and house-cleaners keep our communities running by supporting our families and our homes, but have been undervalued and left to work without many key legal protections. As a result, many are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation on the job.The Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights amends Massachusetts state labor law to guarantee basic work standards and protections: 24 hours off per 7-day calendar week; meal and rest breaks; limited vacation and sick days;   parental leave; notice of termination; protection from discrimination, sexual harassment, illegal charges for food and lodging and eviction without notice; and a means of enforcing these standards. Domestic employers under the bill do not include state regulated staffing agencies or the employers of those who work as casual babysitters.If you can come to the hearing or want to get involved in the campaign to pass the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, please contact Marya Axner, 617-227-0888 or NewEnglandJLC@jewishlabor.org

Bangladesh Safety Accord: Tell Walmart to Join the Agreement to Protect Workers

From the Jewish Labor Committee (National):

Sign Petition to Tell Walmart to Sign on to the Bangladesh Safety Accord

The world watched in horror as over 1,100 garment workers were killed in April when a substandard factory in Bangladesh collapsed while they were at their jobs. Similar tragedies are killing and injuring men and women in many places around the globe where labor costs are low and working conditions are unconscionable.

It took this building's collapse, following a disastrous fire in Bangladesh earlier this year, as it took the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York over a century ago, to focus the attention of the world on addressing the need for better safety standards for those who make the clothes the world wears.

One important first step is an international agreement of major international retailers designed to stop such disasters from happening again. Already such well-known firms as H&M Hennes & Mauritz, Carrefour, Marks & Spencer, Inditex, PVH (which owns the Tommy Hilfiger brand), Loblaw (owner of Joe Fresh brand) have signed on to this accord, that provides for a binding, independent inspection program, mandatory improvements in workplace safety, and binding arbitration enforceable in the courts of the country where a company is based. Yet, Walmart is opting to do its own unenforceable audit of factory conditions, a type of self-auditing that has proved to be ineffective.We're calling on the management of Walmart to join the international agreement of major retailers to commit to collectively stop such disasters from happening again. And we want you to join us.Because so many of the world's garments are made by contractors and subcontractors, and retailers often do not track where and how products sold under their name are being made, it is imperative that there is a unified, enforceable agreement of all of the major retailers-including Walmart-to improve fire and building safety in such countries as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam, Pakistan and other countries where so much of our clothes are made.Join us in calling on the management of Walmart to put basic principles of responsibility and decency to work by joining this international agreement-now.Sign our online petition here.Thank you.Stuart Appelbaum, PresidentRita Freedman, Acting Executive DirectorArieh Lebowitz, Associate DirectorMarya Axner, New England Regional Director

UNITE HERE and Hyatt Hotels Reach National Agreement; Boycott Continues at Boston Hyatts

UNITE HERE has reached a national agreement with Hyatt Hotels. This is a huge step forward.However, although UNITE HERE has reached a national agreement with Hyatt Hotels, there are still many issues to resolve, including attaining justice for the Hyatt workers in Boston. The boycott will continue for the three Hyatt Hotels in Boston: Hyatt Regency Boston, Hyatt Regency Cambridge, and Hyatt Harborside.The national agreement will go into effect upon the ratification of the Hyatt union contracts in San Francisco, Hawaii, Chicago, and Los Angeles.  Pending worker approval, those contracts will be in line with the city standards and include substantial wage increases, quality health and pension benefits, and job security.  The agreement establishes a process for Hyatt workers at a number of hotels to gain union representation through a fair process, and creates a framework for an ongoing relationship between UNITE HERE and Hyatt.Pending associate approval, the contracts will provide retroactive wage increases and maintain quality health care and pension benefits. The proposed new contracts would cover associates into 2018. - See HERE for more.The work of the New England Jewish Labor Committee has been an essential part of achieving this agreement.  It has been almost four years that we have been supporting the workers at Hyatt Hotels and we are happy to have made a significant difference on this campaign.We need to remember that it has been the thousands of courageous acts of the workers and their allies that have pressured Hyatt to come to this initial agreement.We in the Jewish community in Boston have to continue our support until the Hyatt workers here in Boston secure decent wages, benefits, safe working conditions, and respect on the job.Sadly that is not yet the case. An agreement will also need to be worked out about the Hyatt 100 who lost their jobs almost four years ago.The national agreement with Hyatt makes achieving justice for the Boston Hyatt workers more possible than before. We will keep you posted as plans develop.WHAT YOU CAN DO1. Please observe the boycott of the three Boston Hyatts, (Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Regency Cambridge, and Hyatt Harborside).2. Please avoid boycotted hotels when you travel and preferably stay at union hotels. Click here to find out which hotels are boycotted hotels and which are union hotels.3. Please organize your synagogue, other Jewish institution or workplace to observe the boycott in Boston. If you want to a speaker on this topic or other assistance, please contact the New England Jewish Labor Committee: 617 227-0888 or  NewEnglandJLC@jewishlabor.org4. PLEASE observe socially responsible event planning. Make sure you have protective language concerning labor disputes in your hotel contract. Such protective language allows you to nullify the contract in case of a labor dispute without a penalty. Inmex is a non-profit organization that will help you figure out the details of securing such language in a hotel contract. There is not a cost for this service.Even though we have not yet gained justice for the Hyatt workers in Boston, this agreement warrants celebration. We want to congratulate and thank all our supporters. We particularly want to thank Rabbi Barbara Penzner, Chair of the New England Jewish Labor Committee Rabbinic Advisory Council, for her continued leadership on this issue. Her commitment has been unwavering. We want to thank the thousands of rabbis and Jewish community members who signed petitions, participated in the boycott, wrote letters, and came to rallies and protests.

NE JLC Advisory Board Meeting Report and Photos: June 13, 2013

[gallery ids="230,245,246,233,234,235,251,229,231,250,258,236,237,239,240,241,243,244,247,248,232"]JLC Advisory Board Meeting Report: June 13, 2013We were thrilled with our first Advisory Board meeting on June 13^th at the New England Regional Carpenters Hall. There were many powerful people in the room. The approximately 40 people who attended were thoughtful, intelligent, experienced, savvy leaders who have worked in the labor movement or in the Jewish community or both. They included elected officials, rabbis, union leaders, and Jewish community activists.At the meeting, Brian Lang, President of UNITE HERE Local 26, and Rabbi David Jaffe of Gann Academy spoke about their relationship with the New England Jewish Labor Committee and how their organizations had benefited from that relationship. Rabbi Barbara Penzner, Chair of the New England Jewish Labor Committee’s (NE JLC) Rabbinic Advisory Council, spoke about all the significant work rabbis have done to help improve working conditions for thousands of workers in the Greater Boston region.People were enthusiastic to think about how we could better achieve our mission: to engage the Jewish community in issues affecting workers.  In other words, how do we help the Jewish community understand that it is in everyone’s self-interest to have a society where workers are treated with respect and are paid decently? How do we mobilize the Jewish community on behalf of workers? How do we use that mobilized energy to reach a broader community?We broke into four groups to discuss these questions. These groups focused outreach to the following groups:

• Jewish institutions
• Elected officials
• Cultural and non-affiliated Jews
• The broader community

Here are the summaries of reports from the groups:Jewish institutionsOne person posed this question, “What are the real points of connection in the Jewish community to labor?"  For example, GBIO’s nursing home campaign was something everyone in the Jewish community could relate to. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers has also inspired people because they built a coalition between the most marginalized people in our society and consumers.  We can relate as consumers.People in the Jewish community do resonate with workplace justice, but it’s a matter of helping people connect to labor issues. For example, in New York, Jews For Economic and Racial Justice (JFREJ) led the Shalom Bayit (peace in the home) campaign around a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. The Jewish community was central in getting that bill passed. The New England JLC is now working on a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in Boston. This issue connects the political with the personal. If someone is working for you in your own home, that is personal and people can relate to it.We need to acknowledge that labor issues are challenging in the Jewish community. We need incremental rather than global growth. Discrete issues, such as the Hyatt 100, or Ethical Contractor policies will help.The question was asked, “How do we make Jews aware of the realities of workers’ lives?”Here are some ideas of things we can host that will address that question:Education

• Education for rabbis on labor justice. For example, a group of rabbis can meet with workers and see their working conditions, similar to a Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) trip except here in Boston.

• Education in Jewish schools to get students to come together for an action, like Workman’s Circle does with its students.

• Rabbi Margie Klein edited a curriculum on social justice by Rabbi Jill Jacobs into two-week long units for use in Hebrew schools.  Jewish schools were eager for such a curriculum.

• Look at a broad array of Jewish organizations such as Hillel as places to engage.

• We need a long-term strategy. We should aim for deep transformation, like consciousness-raising, similar to the CIW model. In CIW people meet in groups and talk about their work situations or how they can make a difference. It is a model which takes a long time but builds real commitment.

• Using the term “economic justice” and not “union” will create a better reception.  It is important to approach others in the right way so that they will respond.

Cultural and non-affiliated JewsThis group thought that the best way to appeal to unaffiliated Jews—and Jews with only modest synagogue connections—is to focus on:1) Consciousness-raising about the issues affecting working people.2) Reminders of the underlying Jewish values that should be informing our stances on these issues.They also noted that the Jewish community—even the unaffiliated sectors—are not monolithic, and that different groups may require different methods and messages.The challenge is further complicated by the fact that the community may becoming more conservative economically and politically, and an appeal to labor union history and solidarity is not as likely to be effective.The group felt that the college-age population represents a potential fertile market.Elected officialsThere was a general discussion about how important it is for the NE JLC to have its members work with legislators to put pressure on businesses to do the right thing. We can use public officials to approach business leaders. We can use a business' desire to do business in a community as leverage to get them to comply with certain standards of behavior—there are costs to lack of high standards in the treatment of workers.The NE JLC should build relationships with elected officials when there isn’t a crisis, so that those relationships are in place for when a crisis occurs.The NE JLC could clearly express the historic connection between Judaism and support for the labor community.We need to have a better focus on specific issues and not spread ourselves too thin.Using the word “person” rather than worker sometimes helps when communicating to people about worker issues.The broader communityThis group recommended that the NE JLC could reach the larger community by hosting forums on issues having to do with workers. We could be the conscience of the Jewish community. The forums would be a way to get our name out there in the Jewish community.It would also be helpful to focus on a few issues and campaigns in depth rather than focus on many issues.Working with other community groups would help us reach groups of people beyond the Jewish community.

Pictures from the 2013 Labor Seder

The Labor Seder is a unique interfaith event where Jewish community leaders, labor leaders, elected officials, and community activists build bridges that enable us all to pursue justice with greater strength and commitment. For more information about the Seder, see here.The 2013 Labor Seder was held at the IBEW Local 103 Hall in Dorchester on March 19th, 2013.