Yesterday, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed the California Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, which would have provided about 200,000 domestic workers with overtime pay, meal breaks, and a suitable sleeping environment for live-in workers, due to what he claims to be a “number of unanswered questions” that the bill raises.
According to Assembly Member Tom Ammiano, “Governor Brown missed an opportunity to prove himself a leader in civil rights by ensuing that the people caring for California’s children, people with disabilities, and the elderly no longer have to go without proper sleep or meals.” The reality is that the majority of these caretakers are female immigrants and by vetoing this bill, their basic labor rights are being denied.
In 2010 New York passed a similar bill that acknowledged the unequal working conditions that many domestic workers face and how these individuals frequently go unnoticed. Despite this setback in California, the National Domestic Workers Alliance is pushing forward with more bills for equal labor rights in additional states within the next year.
Media Resources: National Domestic Workers Alliance; Huffington Post 10/01/12; Feministing.com 10/01/12
