SEATTLE – La Representante Demócrata por Washington, Pramila Jayapal, afirma que presentará al nuevo Congreso un Proyecto de Ley (“Bill of Rights”) para salvaguardar los derechos de trabajadoras y trabajadores domésticos.

La iniciativa busca dar un amplio abanico de protecciones a quienes laboran en domicilios familiares, incluyendo derechos laborales y salvaguardas ante posibles acosos en el hogar.

Además busca establecer prácticas justas en cuanto a horarios, descansos y pago de ausencias por enfermedad. Jayapal dice que la iniciativa toma en cuenta los conceptos de justicia de sexo y el nivel socioeconómico de una fuerza laboral en su mayoría compuesta por mujeres inmigrantes y de color, que ganan sueldos en el nivel de pobreza.

“Las trabajadoras domésticas cuidan a la gente que más queremos en la vida, ¿verdad? Nuestros padres, nuestros ancianos, nuestros niños. Y tenemos que asegurarnos de que tengan un pago adecuado y la protección necesaria para que puedan ser más eficientes haciendo su trabajo.”

Jayapal citó a la Alianza Nacional de Trabajadoras Domésticas (“National Domestic Workers Alliance”), al decir que “se trata del trabajo que hace posibles todos los otros trabajos.” Y que es de suma importancia que se incluya una disposición para que haya acuerdos por escrito obligatorios entre quienes contratan y quienes son contratados.

Ya son ocho los estados que han promulgado este año leyes protegiendo el trabajo doméstico; Seattle fue la primera ciudad de los Estados Unidos en hacerlo.

Sterling Harders es la Presidenta del Sindicato Internacional de Empleados de Servicio 775 (”Service Employees International Union 775”), que representa a los trabajadores de cuidados de largo plazo en los estados de Washington y Montana.

Afirma que el trabajo doméstico de todo tipo es subestimado. Lo dejaron fuera de la Ley de Salud y Seguridad Ocupacional (“Occupational Safety and Health Act”) de 1970, y tanto trabajadoras como trabajadores generalmente carecen de protección bajo la Ley de Derechos Civiles (“Civil Rights Act”), la que excluye lugares de trabajo con menos de 15 empleados –caso en el que se encuentra prácticamente la totalidad de hogares–. Harders comenta que es hora de dignificar esta profesión.

“Esta gente es de veras la espina dorsal de la sociedad, y hace un trabajo clave para el funcionamiento exitoso de nuestra sociedad. Sin embargo durante años ha sido ignorada, excluida de la protección básica y empujada afuera.”

Dice que siete de cada diez washingtonianos necesitarán cuidados al final de su vida, y a medida que la ola de “Baby Boomers” va envejeciendo, la necesidad de contar con cuidados en el hogar crece rápidamente; y advierte que la carencia de protecciones para los trabajos en el hogar podría dificultar la satisfacción de esa necesidad.

Harders añade que la naturaleza de estos empleos frecuentemente significa que la gente trabaje aislada, lo que les hace vulnerables a sufrir un abuso.

“Problemas de acoso sexual y de inseguridad en el trabajo son más bien la regla que la excepción. Así que siento que en esta industria en especial es sumamente importante que pongamos en su lugar las protecciones básicas.”


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An annual report shows Minnesota now tops 62,000 clean-energy jobs, a new state record. Federal and state policies are fueling growth. However, project developers signal a need for a robust pipeline of workers. Clean Energy Economy Minnesota's latest summary says that in 2023, jobs tied to non-fossil fuel energy sources grew nearly five times faster than the state's overall economy.

Gregg Mast, Clean Energy Economy Minnesota executive director, credits the federal Inflation Reduction Act, as well as a state law requiring carbon-free electricity by 2040, for helping the sector move further past pandemic disruptions.

"The future looks very bright with jobs in the sector, and we expect to see these numbers grow by another 6% or more this year," he explained.

Industry leaders say solar, wind and similar projects also are doing a better job in providing strong wages and benefits to those hired to construct these systems. But some firms hope for more training opportunities so they can have enough engineers and other experts design projects in the development queue. While election outcomes could impact certain government incentives, advocates remain optimistic about future growth.

Andy Kim, president of EVS Engineering in the Twin Cities-area, which specializes in the solar-energy substation and battery-storage markets, said over the past decade, they've grown from about 35 staff members to nearly 200. The hard part is finding enough people to fill the accelerated pace of openings.

"It's an industry where people want to go," he said. "It's also an industry where our educational system doesn't have the track record of putting those people out because it's a new industry."

Roughly 40 colleges around the country now offer renewable-energy engineering degree programs. But Kim suggested that many more need to follow suit to meet future demand. Other institutions and technical schools are adding other courses tied to the clean-energy sector.

Arizona workers, retirees and small business owners say they'll be left to pick up the slack when the wealthy and big corporations don't pay their fair share in taxes. They argue that'll be the case if former President Donald Trump's 2017 tax code gets extended in 2025.

Linda Somo, president of the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans, contends the tax code is not balanced and favors the rich. Workers in 2016 who made less than $114,000 a year saw no change in earnings, while top executive salaries increased , according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Somo added the issue needs to be revisited before it gets renewed in 2025. She was in D.C. last month and spoke to Arizona lawmakers.

"Once we have a new Congress in session, after January, they could start closing some loopholes, even if it's not the actual tax law," Soto explained. "There are some things they could do to tweak that law ahead of time."

Republicans argue the tax plan would lead to economic growth. In 2017, the Department of Treasury claimed the law would increase tax revenues by $1.8 trillion over ten years. But Somo said she views the tax code as something damaging to the middle class, and wants to see a more equitable tax code be considered.

Somo, a retired teacher, says a more just tax code would translate to better funding for public education, better access to health care and a stronger social net for all Americans.

"It really ticks me off when I think, 'OK, I pay 15% and someone who is a billionaire probably is paying a far less percent because they can take advantage of all kinds of loopholes,'" she continued.

Somo encouraged all Arizonans to get informed and voice their opinions on the tax code to their state legislators. She said if lawmakers are only hearing from those who can donate big money to their campaigns, they'll forget about those who are impacted the most.

A new study by the Missouri Budget Project calls out some opposing views to the ballot measure known as Proposition A and included data to debunk them as "myths."

If it passes next month, Proposition A would raise Missouri's minimum wage from $12.30 an hour to $15 by 2026. Opponents said the increase would mostly affect young adults and teenagers.

Lindsey Baker, director of research for the Missouri Budget Project, disagreed. She said debunking the myth of whom the minimum wage increase affects is one of her organization's top priorities.

"One thing that people are often unaware of is just how many kids and families would benefit from this," Baker pointed out. "Often people have a stereotypical image of who 'minimum wage workers' are and really, they are all kinds of people."

The report shows one in four Missouri children lives in a household that would see its income rise with an increase in the minimum wage. Proposition A would also guarantee paid sick leave for more 700,000 Missouri workers who currently do not have it.

Opponents have said increasing the minimum wage would be bad for businesses and the economy, with the potential for job loss. Baker stressed it is also a myth.

"Consistently, when you look at before and after Missouri's own minimum wage increase that was implemented in 2019, we see that all of those things that were predicted by opponents that would happen -- job loss, all of those things -- really didn't happen," Baker outlined. "In fact, we did very well as a state after that."

The study indicates Missouri's unemployment rate went down faster than the national average and faster than each of the neighboring states not increasing their minimum wage. Baker added it is consistent with prior data suggesting a hike in the minimum wage increases employment, in part by reducing turnover among workers.


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