Care and the Economy: Rethinking Domestic Labor

Sunday, June 8th, 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM
Room 346
Undefined

A large and growing number of people – primarily women – work as domestic workers in the US, providing care for children, the elderly, and disabled and cleaning homes. This work underpins our whole economy, making all other work possible. Despite the essential importance of this work, domestic workers themselves have historically been underpaid and denied basic labor rights. Some of the most exciting organizing and social innovation happening today is being led by domestic workers. This panel will explore several routes that domestic workers are taking to revalue domestic work and transform the working conditions in the industry, from legislative campaigns, to cooperative businesses to social enterprise.

Collaborative live notes: https://commonbound.hackpad.com/Care-and-the-Economy-Rethinking-Domestic...

Speakers: 

Palak Shah

National Domestic Workers Alliance

Palak leads NDWA's experimental and market-based approaches to improve working conditions, services and employment opportunities for domestic workers.

Bio

Aisha Shillingford

New Economy Coalition

Aisha Shillingford is the Director of Organizing for the Racial and Economic Justice Initiative at the New Economy Coalition where she is working to develop a shared race and class analysis of the new economy and to build collective power among communities of color and low-wealth communities engaging in restorative economy work.

Bio

Lydia Edwards

National Domestic Workers Alliance

Lydia Edwards is the Massachusetts Campaign Coordinator for the National Domestic Worker Alliance.

Bio

Lucimara Rodrigues

Vida Verde Women's Co-Op

Lucimara Rodrigues is a Brazilian immigrant who has worked as a house cleaner since 2002 when she emigrated from her native city of Belo Horizonte, in the state of Minas Gerais. In 2006 she joined the Vida Verde Women’s Cooperative and has become one of the most outspoken members against house cleaner exploitation by the “owners of the schedules,” and the use of toxic cleaning products. At Vida Verde she is responsible for keeping Co-Op financial files organized and updated.

Bio