“…Domestic workers in New York are now guaranteed more rights than anywhere in the nation.
Governor David Paterson signed the Domestic Workers’ Rights bill into law Tuesday morning.
It guarantees overtime pay, a minimum of one day off every seven days, three days of paid leave per year, and protections against sexual harassment and racial discrimination.
The bill also mandates that a feasibility study be done to see if there is a possibility of these workers unionizing.
The law covers the estimated 270,000 domestic workers – including nannies, housekeepers and caregivers – employed statewide, and is being hailed as a civil rights victory since the majority of the workers are not only women, but also women of color. ..
‘The domestic workers bill of rights is a first step in winning recognition. And in beginning to set the floor for this workforce where there has been none,’ said Domestic Workers United Director Priscilla Gonzalez…”
Title: Paterson Signs Landmark Bill of Rights For Domestic Workers
Author: Bobby Cuza
Source: New York 1
Date: August 31, 2010
“…The last comprehensive survey of the number of youth organizing groups in the country was done in 2004 by the Edward W. Hazen Foundation and FCYO, which identified approximately 120 organizations, projects and intermediaries spread throughout the United States. In 2004, we found that the majority of organizations working in youth organizing have budgets of less than $600,000 and most of the oldest groups had been in existence for 10 years or less. The highest concentration of youth organizing groups were clustered in the Northeast and California and the top three issues addressed by these groups were education, juvenile justice, and the environment.
Since then we noted, anecdotally, two trends: 1) there has been an attrition of organizations in the field and many of the organizations that we knew of in 2004 no longer exist, including a key intermediary, LISTEN, Inc.; 2) simultaneously, there has been a growth of organizations committed to intergenerational youth organizing...”