Governor Paterson Signs Domestic Workers Bill of Rights

Diane J. Savino

August 31, 2010

Labor

Bill of Rights
by New York State Office of the Governor

ALBANY, NY (08/31/2010)(readMedia)-- Governor David A. Paterson today signed into law a landmark bill to grant workplace protections to domestic workers, the first such law to be enacted in the nation. Domestic workers had been excluded from many of the rights granted to other employees by legislation enacted in the past.

Senator Diane J. Savino said: "Today New York State is again making history in passing legislation to protect working families. We were the first to establish child labor laws, minimum wage laws, and workplace protections in sweatshops. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a former New York State Senator himself, signed the National Labor Relations Act, legislation that gave us the basic labor protections that we all enjoy, but which unfortunately excluded domestic workers. Since then they have toiled without any rights whatsoever. That changes today. With the signing of the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, we will dramatically improve the lives of those who care for our children, our seniors and our homes, those who make all other work possible. More importantly, it sends a clear message to the rest of the country that domestic workers are indeed employees, and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity."