Throughout reading Parrenas’ Unfree, it can be easy to “other” the domestic workers in the book, throwing cultural relativism to the side and using neoliberal ideals to make it a “them” problem. In reality, implementation of labor standards that provide a safe and stable work environment when it comes to job opportunities, pay, work hours, benefits, and more are an issue everywhere, including the U.S. This can be seen through the chartbook compiled by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) from 2022. Some key findings by them are: most of them are Black, Hispanic/Latino, or Asian American/Pacific Islander women; their median pay is $13.79/hour, compared to other workers’ $21.76/hour; three times more likely to be living in poverty and with insufficient income; and only about 19% have insurance and about 9% have retirement coverage by employers.
While making the claim that these domestic workers face unfreedom may seem too bold, they do face certain aspects of it. Many of these domestic works face a sexist, racist, and inequitable society where opportunity for them is scarce. Therefore, these domestic workers are not able to freely participate in the market because of the social/financial barriers they face. Simultaneously, they can be intervened by employers using their arbitrary domination over their workers by cutting hours, offering lower pay than other workers, not offering any crucial (life-altering) benefits to workers.
In the news article, they talk about the importance of implementing a National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act within the U.S. (and list 10 states which have already passed similar laws). This act would provide domestic workers with the crucial protections and standards they need to prevent any of the above interventions that are currently disproportionately impacting them. Additionally, this act could be a major tool for labor unions to use, to ensure more equitable labor conditions for all workers in the U.S.
The only issue is, how could this legislation be effectively implemented and enforced by U.S. authorities? If in the UAE, regulations can be passed but routinely ignored by employers as shown by Parrenas, then how can we know that the same won’t happen here?
National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act
Written by: Lily Philbrook