Summer 2019 Newsletter

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View this email in your browser Coalition News and Updates! Hello Friends! There's been a lot happening over here at MCDW.  This summer has been jammed packed with new organizations joining the steering committee, introducing the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights at the federal level and preparing for a busy fall!   The fight to bring dignity, respect and justice to people who make all work possible continues and we need all hands on deck. As we said before the coalition's steering committee has grown to include three more organizations!   Let's welcome Brazilian Worker's Center, MassCosh and WILD onto the steering committee, read a bit more about each organization:  The Brazilian Worker Center was founded in 1995 to support workers’ struggles in the Greater Boston area around issues of workplace rights and immigration. Their values is to help to restores peoples’ sense of self-worth, respect and dignity. MassCOSH strives to ensure that all workers earn their living and return home alive and well. MassCOSH unites workers, unions and community groups with environmental and health activists, to end dangerous work conditions, to organize for safe, secure jobs, and to advocate for healthy communities. WILD which stands for Women's Institute for Leadership Development was founded in 1986 by a group of women labor activists and educators.  Over the years the group has sought to build bridges between labor and community groups to help increase the diversity of leadership within political and labor organizing communities.  It is estimated that there are over 68,000 Domestic Workers that live in this state and it is our belief that there are many that either do not know or unfamiliar with the law.  As a result and with the support of the coalition members, we are facilitating Know Your Rights training workshops.  On July 13th, MCDW with the support of MassCOSH held a Massachusetts' Domestic Workers Bill of Rights  Know Your Rights workshop.  Around 20 domestic workers attended the workshop and learned about the bill and the ways it can provide protection from exploitative and unjust work conditions.  The workshop was held in both Spanish and English.  More workshops will follow, including on designing your own contract in October.  If you would like us to facilitate a workshop for you or at your workplace, please contact us directly at info@massdomesticworkers.org.   Two days later, we headed to DC to help introduce and lobby for the Federal Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.  That's right!   If you haven't heard already, on July 15th, Representative Pramila Jayapal and Senator Kamala Harris introduced the first ever domestic workers bill of rights to help guarantee dignity, respect and justice to domestic workers all over the United States.  And Massachusetts congressional members are showing strong support!  Representatives Katherine M. Clark, Ayanna Pressley, James P. McGovern, Joseph P. Kennedy, III, Lori Trahan with Senator Elizabeth Warren all signed on! Please call them and thank them! If you don't see your representative or senator listed above, call them and tell them to support H.R. 3760/S. 2112 Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act!   Upcoming Events On September 7th, we will be holding a focus group to help us with our social media campaign!  If you or someone you know are a domestic worker and wish to participate in the focus group or you wish to volunteer at the event, please RSVP at the link below!  Details: WHEN: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th, 2019 TIME: 10:00am - 1:00pm WHERE: 89 South Street, TSNE Downtown Area close to South Station Light refreshment, and stipend will be provided for the 10 first participants who arrive early. Extra information and opportunity for leadership development will be provided for all participants. RSVP using this link Please save this date and time: September 16th from 2pm - 3pm EST.  Help us launch the first phase of our social media campaign as well as our week long fundraising campaign!  Follow us on twitter @MCDW4dignity and look forward to next week's newsletter for more information! Know a domestic worker? An employer of a domestic worker? Or a general supporter? Send them this link - http://bit.ly/mcdw-newsletter and have them sign up for our newsletter to learn more about the legal rights of domestic workers and what they can do to ensure dignity, respect & justice for those who carry the economy on their backs!