The D.C. Council has voted unanimously on its first vote to pass the Domestic Worker Employment Rights Amendment Act of 2022, which would extend rights and protections to more than 9,000 domestic workers – including house cleaners, nannies, and home health aides. On Tuesday, ahead of the Council’s vote on the bill, domestic workers and members of the D.C. chapter for the National Domestic Workers Alliance rallied outside of the Wilson Building.
“For me it’s like breaking a wall,” says Ingrid Vaca, who has worked as a domestic worker in D.C. for more than 20 years.
The bill, also known as the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, was first introduced in March by At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman and eight other council members to include domestic workers under D.C.’s Human Rights Act, which makes discrimination illegal for more than a dozen protected traits.
“These women have been asking for something very basic – dignity, respect, fairness, and a safe workplace,” said Silverman in a statement. “It’s an entirely reasonable thing to ask for, and I’m pleased to say that from the start, all of us on the dais have been on board with those aims, as we worked through the legislation.”
Once the new law is enacted, domestic workers will be protected against sexual harassment and discrimination based on race, national origin, and other factors. It will also include domestic workers in the District’s occupational health and safety laws.
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