Salem, OR - June 17, 2015
The struggle of Oregon domestic workers will be vindicated today when Governor Brown signs the Oregon Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights (SB 552) into law.
The Oregon Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights corrects an historic wrong by including domestic workers in the basic labor laws afforded most other workers. Domestic workers were intentionally excluded from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as a concession to Southern politicians in the early 1900’s. This exclusion was mirrored on the state level, creating an unregulated and underground economy that left the state’s approximate 10,000 domestic workers subject to widespread mistreatment and abuse.
“The Oregon domestic worker represents a historic step forward in securing basic rights and dignity for this important workforce, and provides a strong public policy foundation to support working families in the 21st century. We're extremely thankful for Senator Gelser and Governor Brown's leadership.”, states Ai-jen Poo, Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.
The Oregon Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights (SB 552) includes provisions for overtime pay, periods of rest, paid personal time and protection against harassment, directing the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries to adopt rules to implement.
Senator Sara Gelser, chief sponsor of the bill, was inspired after attending a labor trafficking conference and the growing movement to create state bills to secure a floor of protections for workers. “This bill was the right thing to do. It will help to support working families across our state. Now domestic workers will be able to adequately provide for their own families, and finally be protected for the valuable work that they do. And employers who hire domestic workers will have a standard to look towards which will help to ensure quality care for their families.”
With the signing, Oregon becomes the fifth state following after New York, California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts to pass a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.
