Meanwhile, domestic workers and their supporters are rallying behind a bill that would grant them the right to overtime pay, meal breaks and collective bargaining. Under federal labor law, domestic workers are excluded from many of the protections most workers receive; the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act would change that. The bill is co-sponsored by Washington Congressmember Pramila Jayapal and California senator and 2020 presidential hopeful Kamala Harris. This is Ai-jen Poo, director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

Ai-jen Poo: “The need for child care and elder care is exploding, especially as the Baby Boom generation ages and people live longer. These are jobs that are not going to be outsourced. They won’t be automated. These are going to be a large part of the jobs of the future. And now, thanks to all of you, we are going to make these jobs good jobs.”

Domestic workers are among the lowest-paid workers in the U.S. and suffer high rates of wage theft and sexual harassment on the job.