Proposed DC legislation re: domestic workers
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Anonymous
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The DC Council is currently reviewing proposed legislation that would add domestic workers to the DC Human Rights Act protections. Read the proposed legislation here: http://lims.dccouncil.us/Download/43176/B23-0442-Introduction.pdf
DC Families with au pairs take note: au pairs are not specifically addressed here and if it is passed as currently written, a law suit similar to the recent case in MA will be filed in DC. If passed, au pairs would potentially need to be paid minimum wage ($14/hour) in addition to room and board, education stipend, etc. Requiring a living wage makes sense for domestic workers. But the whole point of a living wage is that it is enough to live on: to pay your rent/mortgage, buy food, pay for transportation. Au pairs do not have to pay for those things, and so it does not make sense to lump them in with other domestic workers who truly have to bear those types of expenses. NY has a similar law regarding domestic workers but specifically exempts au pairs because au pairs fall under special federal au pair regulations. CONTACT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER to get an exemption for au pairs written into the legislation. |
Anonymous
| Um, where in DC can you support yourself on a minimum wage income? Anywhere safe? I don’t think so, unless you find a (safe) roommate. |
Anonymous
OP here. The post is about its applicability to au pairs, who do not have to pay rent or pay for food. |
Anonymous
| How do we know the status of this legislation? I emailed my Councilmember a few weeks ago and they say they will have a look when time comes, has the time come? |
Anonymous
It is unclear what the status is. Council member Silverman has apparently taken the lead on this legislation. |
Anonymous
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Here is what I received from the Councilmember:
The bill was referred to the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development?. Councilmember Silverman serves as the Chairperson of that Committee. I recommend reaching out to the Committee directly with further inquiries pertaining to the hearing date. The contact information is provided in the link below. https://dccouncil.us/committees/labor-workforce-development/ HFs in DC, please contact Councilmember Silverman with your request to exclude APs from this bill. We need to fight now. It is also worth getting in touch with your agency to know what they are doing about it. |
Anonymous
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Thanks PP. we will write Silverman’s office.
Awful to think that the AP program could essentially be over in dc. |
Anonymous
| This is probably not something we should leave to chance with a few emails and hope someone else addresses this - no one else is coming to our rescue. CALL DAILY. EMAIL DAILY. Get your friends, neighbors and allies to lobby intensely. |
Anonymous
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APIA sent their dc families an email today urging them to contact their council members on this proposed legislation.
This presents a very real and immediate danger to the au pair program in dc. By people who don’t even understand the repercussions. |
Anonymous
| I sent an email today. I'll follow up with Silverman tomorrow. This sort of legislation took effect in MA recently, correct? What effect has it had on the AP programs up there? |
Anonymous
| Everything would just be business as usual for the suburbs though. |
Anonymous
It is just a mater of time, it is happening everywhere. |
Anonymous
| Does anyone has a link to the New York law that excluded AP from the bill? |
Anonymous
| Where is the documentation of the abuse cases? |
Anonymous
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NY law fact sheet: https://labor.ny.gov/legal/laws/pdf/domestic-workers/facts-for-domestic-workers.pdf
At the end it states that au pairs are exempt. |