For Immediate Release
September 15, 2022
Contact: Valeria Ojeda-Avitia, [email protected]
WASHINGTON, DC – Tomorrow, the National Domestic Workers Alliance gathers in Washington DC with allies, supporters, and appearances from members of Congress in celebration of its 15 year anniversary. NDWA is the largest membership-based alliance of women of color in the country, building upon the enduring legacy of the women who do the work that makes all other work possible. Supporters will gather to commemorate this milestone during an event at Dock 5 in Washington. The celebration will culminate this Saturday with NDWA’s Congress, where the organization will bring members and affiliates together to share learnings and strategize for the years ahead.
“As domestic and care workers become more and more central to the future of work, we need to ensure that they are honored with quality jobs and recognition they deserve,” said Ai-jen Poo, President of NDWA. “As we celebrate our 15 year anniversary, our movement is doubling down on ensuring the women whose work powers the present are shaping the future. We are just getting started.”
The National Domestic Workers Alliance launched in 2007 with 13 domestic worker organizations from five states. Earlier this year, NDWA welcomed a new Executive Director, Jenn Stowe, who helps lead a growing organization that now includes more than 70 affiliates and chapters across 20 states, advocating on behalf of more than 400,000 domestic workers throughout the U.S. During the pandemic, domestic worker engagement in NDWA programs tripled, spurred on by the urgency of the moment and the accessibility of online meetings and events.
“The folks we fight for work in private homes — homecare workers, house cleaners, and nannies who do not have access to Social Security, overtime, or retirement,” said Stowe. “What this means is that 82% of workers do not have a single sick day. 90% lost wages instantly when the pandemic hit. Care is essential, and it is one of the fastest growing work forces in the country. It is critical we improve the quality of those jobs and the protections of those jobs so people can make a living wage.”
Fueled by its exponential growth over the past decade-and-a-half, NDWA has won a series of local and federal policy campaigns that have translated into real change for workers. Since 2010, there have been Domestic Worker Bills of Rights passed in 11 states and three cities and more than two million home care workers have gained living wage protections. These successes paved the way for the July 2021 re-introduction of the federal Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act that articulates a new vision for labor rights in the 21st century and that received its first congressional hearing last July. NDWA’s DC Chapter is also working to pass the Domestic Worker Employment Rights Amendment Act of 2022 to ensure domestic workers in our nation’s capital have access to key labor protections.
NDWA’s movement is growing, and our vision for the future is clear – we are leaders of a movement calling for a reimagining of work and care for all people that allows them the dignity and respect they deserve. We are the future, and our time is now.
