Today in the United States, there are an estimated 2.5 million home caregivers in America who assist older Americans and people with disabilities with activities critical to their safety and quality of life.
 

Despite their hard work, these home care workers - 90% of whom are women, and 50% of whom rely on public assistance to meet their own basic needs - are not entitled to the overtime and minimum wage protections that other American workers have.

 

Since 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act has guaranteed American workers minimum wage and overtime pay but home care workers were excluded from these basic protections, considered mere “companions."

 

A rule proposed last December by President Obama and the U.S. Department of Labor would extend basic labor protections to home care workers. Right now, the federal government is considering these changes to current labor regulations, but huge for-profit home care companies are lobbying hard in Congress to prevent the changes from going into effect and improving the lives of millions of home care workers across the United States.

 

On September 21st we in Boston are going to send a clear message to Congress that it is time to end the outdated regulation that treats these workers as second-class citizens.  Domestic workers who provide the support and services that help people with disabilities and seniors live with dignity need respect and rights!
 

TAKE ACTION!

 

Will you join us by calling MA Senators Scott Brown and John Kerry this Friday September 21st?

 

Senator Brown (202) 224-4543 Senator Kerry (202) 224-2742

 

My name is _______________. I am home care worker / domestic worker / live---in domestic worker/other_________. Today I am participating in a National Day of Action to win basic rights for homecare workers.

The Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed regulations to extend the Fair Labor Standards Act to homecare workers, giving them minimum wage and overtime protections. These regulations must be finalized now. Homecare workers help ensure that elders, parents and loved ones with disabilities receive quality care and support. The work they do is vital but the low-pay and long hours are unsustainable and unjust. Moreover, extending protections to homeworkers will help ensure dignified care for the elderly and people with disabilities so they can stay in their homes and out of institutions.

 

I want to urge Senator _______ to support DOL’s regulations and their finalization now, and to oppose legislation or other efforts to prevent home care workers from these long---overdue basic labor rights.

Thank you!

 

SIGN THE PETITION!

Click here to sign our petition!

 

Thank you,

The MA Coalition for Domestic Workers