What is this policy about?
While domestic work is essential to the California economy and to the ability for Californians to live independently, domestic workers have been categorically excluded from basic labor and occupational health and safety protections.
Appallingly, the current COVID-19 health pandemic as well as the increasingly frequent and devastating California wildfires have magnified the vulnerability and dangers that domestic workers and day laborers face on a daily basis.
This policy would eliminate the exclusion of “household domestic service” from California’s Occupational Health and Safety Protections.
How does it align with yli’s values?
Domestic workers are primarily immigrant women who work to support their own families as primary breadwinners – a group at the intersection of race, class, immigration status and gender, and thus a key community that yli seeks to uplift in our social justice work.
These workers have names. They have spouses, siblings, and children. They are the mothers and sisters of our youth. Many of them ARE our youth, who must contribute to their families to keep afloat. Our youth and their families are deeply impacted by labor laws and protections (or lack thereof).
What is yli doing about it?
We have just signed a letter of endorsement, crafted by California Domestic Workers Alliance. And, we are voicing our support on social media: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Who else has endorsed this policy?
- Instituto de Educación Popular del Sur de California (IDEPSCA)
- Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights
- Pilipino Workers Center (PWC)
- Filipino Advocates for Justice
- Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network
- Graton Day Labor Center (Centro Laboral de Graton)
- Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA)
- La Colectiva de Mujeres