Jenn Stowe, Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the domestic workers industry and the unique work situations NDWA members endure.
Stowe gave a brief history of domestic workers, as the industry dates back to the Civil War era when the roles were held mainly by African American women. The industry was then left out of the New Deal, and she argued that it had a lasting impact on the industry. More recently, during the COVID pandemic, about 90 percent of domestic workers in America lost some of all their wages, Stowe said.
Domestic workers deal with a higher rate of sexual harassment than workers in most industries, Stowe added. Unfortunately, in many instances, harassed workers are afraid to speak up for fear of being blackballed and the resulting loss of a paycheck. However, she noted that innd not afraid to discuss workplace violations.
To improve the quality of working conditions and to incentivize new workers to join the industry, Stowe shared the NDWA’s two-part plan to bolster the union. The first part entails the creation of a Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights. This would give domestic workers access to a Collective Bargaining Agreement and ensure wage increases and protection from workplace harassment.
The second part is for the government to make a full investment into the care economy. Consisting of childcare, elderly care and paid leave, Stowe believes a full investment would result in safer working conditions and the ability to incentivize new workers to join the industry.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more.
America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.
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