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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Joseph Rendeiro
jrendeiro@nclr.org
(202) 776-1566
Obama administration issues new regulations on minimum wage and overtime protections
NCLR (National Council of La Raza) applauds today’s announcement that the U.S. Department of Labor will extend minimum wage and overtime protections to nearly two million home care workers, 21% of whom are Latino. Home care work is the fastest-growing job in the U.S., projected to grow by 71% between 2010 and 2020. Final regulations announced today by Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez will go into effect on January 1, 2015.
“The regulations issued today are a breakthrough for Hispanic home care workers,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR. “For too long, our country neglected to care for those who care for our loved ones. These new rules will ensure that home care workers are fairly compensated for the important work they do to help seniors and people with disabilities live with dignity in their homes. Our local economies will also benefit, since most home care workers are the primary breadwinners for their families.”
This victory is the result of collaboration by an unprecedented coalition of organizations, including NCLR, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the Direct Care Alliance, PHI, the National Employment Law Project, Caring Across Generations, the AFL-CIO, AFSCME and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The federal regulations complement efforts in several states to improve wages and working conditions for home care workers, the majority of whom are women of color. Hawaii enacted a Domestic Worker Bill of Rights, following an example set by New York in 2010. Due in part to pressure from NCLR Affiliates in California, the California Domestic Worker Bill of Rights (AB 241) passed the California Assembly and Senate and awaits the governor’s signature.
“We are proud of the strong collaborative effort that our coalition undertook to push for these regulations, and we look forward to helping ensure the swift and effective implementation of these changes,” concluded Murguía.
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