Household Economics

For some, they are simply "the help." And while they are intimately in our lives, they are overlooked, exploited and sometimes even physically abused. They form a shadow economy of sorts. They work long hours, in their bosses’ homes, with little if any outside contact and fewer resources. They are largely immigrant women of color and without them NY’s regional economy—the nation’s largest—would come to a standstill. And yet they are excluded from the most basic labor rights—the eight-hour day, overtime, sick pay, and pensions. They are domestic workers—nannies, elderly caregivers, housekeepers—one of the most exploited groups in America, and they are fighting for a workers’ bill of rights.

At the United States Social Forum in Atlanta a year ago domestic workers created a national alliance to push for state and federal laws to provide them basic rights and this spring at least 550 domestic workers traveled to Albany to lobby for a workers’ bill of rights, the first of its kind. What are the obstacles to organizing and can moms and working women, nannies and their employers— often at odds, put a fair system in place? And what constitutes fair wages for housework?

In today’s panel Marisa Franco, Senior Organizer with Domestic Workers United, Marilyn Alcindore, an elder caregiver and nanny who now serves on the steering committee of Domestic Workers United, Deirdre Schifeling, co-director of The Center for Working Families, and Dara Silverman director of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice explore the surprising and sometimes complicated alliances that domestic workers have forged in their fight to win basic rights. As Alcindore says, “Unless we as nannies get to your home, you cannot get to your job.” Listen here for a lesson in household economics.