Domestic Workers’ Organizing in California: An ASATA Update
by ASATA Member Preeti Gamzeh
Over two million homes across California depend on the essential care provided by more than 300,000 domestic workers in the state – yet they remain without health and safety protections in the workplace. Care workers who ensure our economies have a healthy workforce, are ironically and sadly, marginalized and invisible-ized by intentional exclusion from worker protection laws. These exclusions are a remnant of the United States’ legacy of slavery and discrimination against Black and brown immigrant women workers that continue on in California state’s labor code today.
As a result, domestic workers are regularly exposed to health and safety threats. These include exposure to toxic products, heavy lifting leading to muscle tears, sprains, back injuries and other long-term chronic conditions such as asthma, chronic cough, vision impairment, impacts on the reproductive system, and more.
To address this historic inequality, the California Domestic Workers Coalition (CDWC) worked with the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) to create SB 686, a bill that created the first ever health and safety guidelines for the domestic work industry. This bill was put together by an Advisory Committee of domestic workers, employers, and occupational health and safety experts with Cal/OSHA.
To push for the signing of this bill into law, the CDWC and the NDWA organized a historic rally of over 600 domestic workers in Sacramento,on August 29th. ASATA member Preeti Shekar got to interview Kimberly Alvarenga, the Executive Director of the California Domestic Workers Coalition, to discuss why SB 686 is important and how domestic worker organizing is one of the most important and feminist movement in the country. This discussion aired on KPFA 94.1 FM’s Women’s Magazine on Mon, Oct 9th.
This hour long radio program presents and discusses women’s lives and issues globally and locally from a radical, multiracial, feminist, muj
Postscript: After this interview was recorded, Governor Newsom vetoed the bill, on October 2nd, on grounds that homes and businesses cannot be regulated by the same set of laws. The CDWC and the NDWA expressed their disappointment in this decision and are currently re-strategizing. While it is disappointing that this bill was outright vetoed, the organizing of domestic workers, who are largely from black and brown immigrant communities, is one of the brightest sparks of feminist movements in the United States, and is inspiring to organizing care work everywhere.
Learn more about the incredible strides domestic worker organizing in California has made by visiting their website at cadomesticworkers.org and following their updates on social media.
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