“The Crisis of Care” CGA Members featured in the latest episode of The Intercept
“Listen, we need people to understand that we are human beings, and we’re not slaves. And we are not to [snaps her fingers] the snap of their fingers to do whatever they want. We deserve some respect. We deserve to be appreciated, you know? Recognize our rights! We are essential workers, too.”
In the latest episode of the Intercept’s podcast, CGA domestic worker members Kenya, Sandra, and Meches are interviewed to share their experience as domestic workers during COVID-19. The episode also covers our International Domestic Workers Day Rally at City Hall calling on Speaker Corey Johnson to Pass Intro 339. You can listen the podcast below, click here for the full transcript, and read sections from CGA members below.
“Sandra: OK, my name is Sandra. I live in Queens. I am from Guatemala. I have been here for 20-plus years, working as a nanny and as a housekeeper.
We are very important for this society. We are part of the economy, too, because you need somebody to help you with your kids or cleaning your house while you are doing your work. And this is us, the domestic workers.
Through the pandemic, it was not only scary, but also everything changed for us. I had to let go of my clients in the morning because they were mostly elderly people, and I couldn’t get to them because I was riding on the subways every day.
I started to get — in my mind — sick, because I was afraid to go on the trains. I saw so many things happening on the subways that I got scared. Every Monday morning I would feel dizzy, nauseous, because I didn’t want to go into the trains. So it was hard for everybody, especially in this kind of industry, because we depend on the everyday income to survive.
Listen, we need people to understand that we are human beings, and we’re not slaves. And we are not to [snaps her fingers] the snap of their fingers to do whatever they want. We deserve some respect. We deserve to be appreciated, you know? Recognize our rights! We are essential workers, too.”
“Meches: My name is Meches and I am originally from Guatemala City, and I live in Brooklyn, New York, and I work in Manhattan as a nanny for the past 15 years of my life.
Well, the first thing is that domestic workers, we are as professional as a teacher, or a banker, or the CEO of a big company, we are as professionals as them, and we should be getting the respect and the dignity they do. Yeah.
Before 2010, domestic workers, we couldn’t even call ourselves workers. As a worker, you can go ask for your rights, and you can go to the Department of Labor and say, “OK, they don’t pay me my overtime,” and stuff like that, and you can demand that; you can sue your employers. But before 2010, you couldn’t do that.
It’s good we have the bill of rights, because now we can have contracts. And then people cannot exploit me or think that I can be a slave, because I can have a contract. And I can say, “OK, I can call the Department of Labor, because you are not treating me right.” That’s why the domestic bill of rights are so important.”
“Kenya Williams: Hi, I’m Kenya Williams. I’m a domestic worker for 24 years.
You’re like stepping in where the parent is leaving off, you’re stepping in. So 9-10 hour days, and then if you work late, you can have 12-13 hour days. And then when the pandemic hit, to be told that I’m not an essential worker, that hurts, because we are.
If you’ve never done this work, I feel people look at it like, “Oh, I can do that. It’s easy.” No, it’s not. You have to love children. And you have to have that patience. Because you’re not only dealing with them, you’re dealing with the parents. Their home is our office.”