MEDIA ADVISORY for Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Call on Gov. Rauner to sign bill into law

Media Contact: Shelly Ruzicka, Arise Chicago

773-251-5003 | shelly[at]arisechicago[dot]org  

@AriseChicago  |  @Shelly_Ruzicka

What: Press Conference and Postcard Action to celebrate Illinois Bill of Rights (HB 1288) reaching Governor Bruce Rauner’s desk and encouraging him to sign the bill into a law.

When: Wednesday, July 13, 2016, 10:00-10:45am

Where: In front of the James R. Thompson Center: 100 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601

Who: Arise Chicago and the Illinois Domestic Workers Coalition, domestic workers from Latino, Filipino, and Polish communities; families who employ domestic workers; faith and labor leaders; and legislators.

     Speakers include:

      Ai-jen Poo, Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance

      Magdalena Zylinska domestic worker leader from Arise Chicago

      Lucia Wrooman, domestic worker leader from Latino Union

      Grace Padao, domestic worker leader from AFIRE

      Reverend Joy Rogers, St. James Episcopal Cathedral

      Invited: Senator Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago), bill co-sponsor

      Invited: Representative Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero), bill co-sponsor

Visuals: Signing of giant postcard to Governor Bruce Rauner; balloons and posters; large banner to honor domestic workers.

(Chicago, IL) — On July 13, domestic workers across the state will celebrate a long-awaited historic victory for workers’ rights, as the Illinois Domestic Workers Bill of Rights (HB1288) reaches Governor Rauner’s desk after passing both the Illinois House and Senate. The Governor now has less than 60 days to sign the bill into a law, guaranteeing more than 35,000 domestic workers across the state with basic employment protections.

The bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago) and Rep. Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero), establishes a definition for domestic worker, and creates a floor of protections for nannies, housecleaners, home care workers, cooks, and chauffeurs by amending four state laws that currently exclude them. Together, the Illinois Domestic Workers Bill of Rights will ensure that domestic workers receive minimum wage, protection against sexual harassment, and the right to one day of rest if they work for more than 20 hours for an employer.

If signed into law, Illinois would become the 6th state in the U.S.  to pass a comprehensive Domestic Workers Bill of Rights and the 7th state to extend rights to domestic workers, joining Massachusetts, California, New York, Oregon, Connecticut, and Hawaii.

The Illinois Domestic Workers’ Coalition is powered by local organizations, including AFIRE, Arise Chicago, Latino Union, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, Women Employed, Heartland Alliance, and SEIU-HCII, as well as domestic workers, advocacy and community groups, workers centers, and allies. The Coalition is supported by the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), the nation’s leading voice for dignity and fairness for the millions of domestic workers in the United States. For more information, please visit: www.respectallwork.org

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