Nanny Bill of Rights Causing Political Temper Tantrums

The final legislative step in ratifying the nation's first-ever bill of rights for nannies, maids, and other domestic workers is set to be taken by NY State Senate, provided it is still functioning. Legislation was already passed two weeks ago guaranteeing protections for the 200,000 NYC household workers, like paid overtime past 40 hours a week, five paid vacation and seven paid sick days, six paid national holidays, and two weeks notice of termination.

The bill, sponsored by State Senator Diane Savino (D-Brooklyn, Staten Island), would protect all domestic workers, regardless of immigration status or whether they work on or off the books—and it's set off a raging debate. Daily Intel summarizes the various debates: The left worries it would be entirely unenforceable; a Daily News editorial calls the bill "a classic example of Albany Democrats running amok"; and the garden variety Tea Partier worries that it protects and therefore legitimizes illegal workers.

Savino told Daily Intel, “It's already against the law to hire someone in this country illegally. And if you do employ someone illegally, you are still required to follow the labor law

To Read More: http://gothamist.com/2010/06/14/nanny_bill_of_rights_historical_or.php. We're not extending anything that labor law doesn't already do.”