In what would be a landmark step in the struggle to protect nannies and other domestic workers from exploitation and mistreatment on the job, the New York City Council is expected to pass the first workplace protections for domestic workers in the US today (see WIT for April 4, 2003). Excluded from the National Labor Relations Act that protects most non-agricultural private-sector workers in the US, and not covered by Social Security or minimum wage laws until the 1970's, nannies have historically been among the most exploited of workers. The proposed legislation requires families employing nannies and other domestic workers to sign statements acknowledging the minimum wage, overtime, and Social Security rights of the workers, and provides penalties for employment agencies that violate the law.
See "N.Y. City Council Mulls 'Nanny's Rights' Bill", CHRISTINE HAUGHNEY, The Washington Post, May 13, 2003