1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I am writing today to ask you to vote YES on SB 5023, the Washington Domestic Workers Bill of Rights as it heads now to the House of Representatives after passing on the Senate side. We know the work of nannies, homecare workers, house cleaners, and gardeners makes all other work possible. Historically, domestic workers have been intentionally excluded from labor laws, leaving us without basic protections like minimum wage and overtime pay. This year in Washington we have the opportunity to change this by passing Senate Bill 5023 that will finally include the 100,000+ domestic workers in our state in basic rights to minimum wage, paid sick time, rights to written agreements and protections against discrimination. If adopted, SB 5023 would include domestic workers in existing laws that provide workers minimum wage, sick time, and protection from discrimination. It would also establish the right to a written contract and effective enforcement mechanisms. Washington would become the thirteenth state in the country to strengthen our economy by investing in this critical workforce, which is largely made of immigrant workers and women of color, and relied upon by working families statewide. A breakdown of policy details and impact can be found at https://tinyurl.com/DWBOROP. I support this policy because I know that domestic workers provide critical support to individuals and families, making it possible for them to live independently and work productively. Domestic workers deserve all the benefits of any other employee, and they have been denied these rights and benefits due to the legacy of slavery, sexism, and xenophobia in the United States. It's time to change that, and I hope that I can count on you to vote YES on SB 5023 and help see this policy win in 2025. Thank you for your consideration.