New York Governor David Paterson has signed into law a measure establishing a landmark set of working standards for housekeepers, nannies and other domestic workers. The bill requires overtime pay after a forty-hour workweek, at least one day off per week, and at least three days off with full pay per year.

Gov. David Paterson: “They are the structure and function of our society. They have been the skeleton and underpinning of our success. They are the wind beneath our wings. And we have totally disrespected them, until today.”

The measure was approved earlier this year following a six-year campaign led by the group Domestic Workers United, an organization of nannies, housekeepers and elderly caregivers of color.