Oregon Becomes 5TH State To Pass Bill of Rights for Domestic Workers
Governor Brown sign SB 552 into law on June 17, 2015, ending 77 years of exclusion
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 empower workers across our state. Now domestic workers will be able to count on the same workplace protections all other workers enjoy. This includes the right to sleep every day, the right to eat food of their own choosing, and protection from sexual harassment and discrimination. These hard working Oregonians deserve nothing less.
With the signing, Oregon becomes the fifth state following after New York, California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts to pass a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.
Listen to a short radio segment about the new law on OPB’s Think Out Loud show.
Learn more from the National Domestic Workers Alliance. (This text is from their press release.)