Ai-jen Poo

Ai-jen Poo

Ai-jen Poo is the Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance , the leading organization working to build power, respect, and fair labor standards for the 2.5 million nannies, housekeepers and elderly caregivers in the U.S.

She is a next-generation labor leader, award-winning organizer, author, and a leading voice in the women’s movement. She is the President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Director of Caring Across Generations, Co-Founder of SuperMajority and Trustee of the Ford Foundation. Ai-jen is a nationally recognized expert on elder and family care, the future of work, gender equality, immigration, narrative change, and grassroots organizing. She is the author of the celebrated book, The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America. Together with Alicia Garza, Ai-jen co-hosts the podcast, Sunstorm..

Engaged to George Goehl.

Background

Poo began organizing immigrant women workers in 1996 as the Women Workers Project organizer at CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities in New York City. In 2000, she co-founded Domestic Workers United, a city-wide, multiracial organization of domestic workers. DWU led the way to the passage of the nation’s first Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in 2010, historic legislation that extends basic labor protections to over 200,000 domestic workers in New York state. DWU helped to organize the first national meeting of domestic worker organizations at the US Social Forum in 2007, which resulted in the formation of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. She has been NDWA’s director since April 2010. Ai-jen serves on the Board of Directors of Social Justice Leadership, the Seasons Fund for Social Transformation, the Labor Advisory Board at Cornell ILR School, MomsRising, National Jobs with Justice, Working America, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, and the National Council on Aging.

After graduating from Columbia University and working as a community organizer, Poo helped start DWU in 2000, assisting thousands in getting back pay and challenging other abuses. In 2007 she helped found the National Domestic Workers Alliance, which has grown into a network of groups in 19 cities and 11 states. Thanks to this organizing work, California passed its own Domestic Workers Bill of Rights earlier in 2013.

Honors/achievements

Ai-jen Poo was the 2000 recipient of an Open Society Institute New York City Community Fellowship, the recipient of the Ford Foundation Leadership for a Changing World Award, the Ernest de Maio Award from Labor Research Association, the Woman of Vision Award from Ms. Foundation for Women and in 2009 was named as one of Crain's "40 Under 40" and New York Moves Magazine "Power Women" Awards.

More recently, she is a recipient of the Alston Bannerman Fellowship for Organizers of Color, the Twink Frey Visiting Scholar Fellowship at University of Michigan Center for the Education of Women, and the Prime Movers Fellowship. In 2010, Feminist Press recognized her in their "40 Under 40" awards. In honor of the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day, Ai-jen was recognized by Women Deliver as one of 100 women internationally who are "delivering" for other women. In 2011, she received Independent Sector’s American Express NGen Leadership Award. In 2012, Ai-jen was named on Newsweek’s 150 Fearless Women list and on the TIME’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Her work has been profiled in multiple publications, including The Nation, Ms. Magazine, and The New York Times.

50th Anniversary of the Institute for Policy Studies

50th Anniversary of the Institute for Policy Studies, Fri, Oct 11, 2013 through Sun, Oct 13, 2013.

Who: Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!; Katrina vanden Heuvel, The Nation; Ai-jen Poo, National Domestic Workers Alliance; Dean Baker, Center for Economic and Policy Research; George Goehl, National Peoples Action; Seymour Hersh, Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist; Ariel Dorfman, Argentine-Chilean writer, scholar, activist; Harry Belafonte, American actor, artist, activist; John Cavanagh, Institute for Policy Studies; over 600 activists, students, and scholars.

Where: Liaison Hotel, 415 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington DC; Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington DC.; Busboys and Poets, 5th and K Sts. NW.

Leadership

Care in Action leaders 2023.

• Hillary Holley Executive Director
• Ai-jen Poo Senior Advisor
• Jenn Stowe Senior Advisor
• Alicia Garza Board Member
• Sobaika Mirza Operations Director
• Christina Coleman Communications Director

"Black Women Vote"

November 2019, Care in Action presents "Black Women Vote" with Kerry Washington, Alicia Garza, Ai-jen Poo, Jessica Morales Rocketto, Delegate Lashrecse Aird, Ghazala Hashmi, Sheila Byrnum-Coleman and Jennifer McClellan.

Domestic Workers Bill of Rights

The National Domestic Workers Alliance is taking its drive for a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights national, combining an online petition with extensive testimony before sympathetic Democrats on the House Workforce Protections Subcommittee.

Illinois, Oregon, California, Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico and Virginia, plus Seattle and Philadelphia, have passed their own Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. NDWA founder Ai-jen Poo and C. Nicole Mason, a PhD who heads the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, laid out the case for a nationwide statute on July 28 2022.

“You will find domestic work is much more than meets the eye. They are teachers, nurses, confidants, coaches, event planners and much more” and should be treated with respect and rights many other workers now have, such as overtime pay, Ai-jen Poo urged.

If approved, HR4826, the National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, would do just that. It would ensure the nation’s 2.2 million-plus domestic workers “access to a safe workplace,” by setting standards their employers must meet.

Besides overtime pay, it would give them sick leave and “protection from discrimination and harassment,” she testified. And it would “afford domestic workers the right to meal and rest breaks, establish written agreements to ensure clarity on roles and responsibilities and protect against losing pay due to last minute cancellations,” an NDWA fact sheet says.

“A standards board will allow employers, enforcement agencies and workers to work together to improve the industry. Finally, this bill makes these protections real by providing resources for implementation,” though Ai-jen Poo did not say how much money was involved.

Ai-jen Poo’s prepared statement also did not include raising the minimum wage for domestic workers to $15 an hour. In the original version of his now-dead Build Back Better Act, Democratic President Joe Biden advocated it for nursing home workers—who are also overwhelmingly women of color–tipped workers, and workers with disabilities.

But to keep the pressure on lawmakers, in both the House and the evenly split Senate—though it didn’t say so—NDWA launched the online petition at https://act.domesticworkers.org/a/move-the-national-bill-of-rights-forward.

“As we speak, there are millions of working parents and family caregivers counting on nannies, home care workers and cleaners to enable them to work,” Ai-jen Poo told Subcommittee Chair Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C., whose mother was a domestic worker.

Adams and subcommittee Democrats were sympathetic and promised to push the bill, originally crafted by House Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., with aid from the Service Employees. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., introduced the companion Bill of Rights there.

“Domestic workers allow Americans to live with dignity and independence and make it possible for family caretakers to contribute to communities,” said Adams. “Though domestic work is vital to the lives of countless Americans, federal labor laws do not sufficiently protect domestic workers.” Since the nation’s basic minimum wage and overtime pay law excludes domestic workers, their median wage is $12 an hour “compared to $20 for other workers.”

"When We Organize We Win"

"When We Organize, We Win: Celebrating Progressive Wins in the First 100 Days"

"Join the Progressive Caucus Action Fund (PCAF) for When We Organize, We Win: Celebrating Progressive Wins in the First 100 Days, a digital event celebrating some of the organizers and progressive leaders behind key policy wins from this Congress and Administration in its first 100 days. We'll hear from organizers, grassroots leaders and special guest members of Congress about what these changes mean for our families and what we're fighting for next."

• Representative Pramila Jayapal, Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
• Representative Grace Meng, First Vice-Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
• Representative Marie Newman, Vice Chair of Communications for the Congressional Progressive Caucus
• Representative Ayanna Pressley, MA-07
• Ai-jen Poo, Senior Advisor at Care In Action
• Maurice Mitchell, Executive Director of the Working Families Party
• LaTosha Brown, Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter Fund
• Danielle Atkinson, National Executive Director/Founder of Mothering Justice
• Alex Gomez, Co-Executive Director of Living United for Change in Arizona
• Nse Ufot, Chief Executive Officer of the New Georgia Project
• Rosalba Perez, Secretary-Treasurer of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 888
• Alan Barber, Policy Director of the Progressive Caucus Action Fund

Women United - Deb for Interior

Holly Cook Macarro December 11 2020:

Kerry Washington and Cher Among Those Urging Joe Biden to Nominate Rep. Deb Haaland as Interior Secretary.

Appreciate the support! #cher #kerrywashington #gloriasteinem #UzoAduba #chelseahandler #sarahsilverman

— with Judith LeBlanc, Jane Fonda, Ai-jen Poo, Gloria Steinem.

Detroit Action webinar

With Bernie Sanders, Mary Kay Henry, Kamala Harris, Ai-jen Poo, Detroit Action October 2020.

AAPI bus tour

Don't miss this! Tonight Nina Ahmad and I are hosting a Pennsylvania "stop" on the virtual AAPI bus tour featuring superstars like Ai-Jen Poo, Ted Lieu, Andrew Yang, and many more to mobilize our communities and to get out the vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Check out our lineup!

• Andrew Yang, former Democratic Presidential Candidate
• Ai-jen Poo, Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance
• US Congressmen Ted Lieu, Mark Takano, Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Andy Kim
• Helen Gym, Philadelphia City Councilmember
• Dr. Nina Ahmad, Democratic nominee for PA Auditor General

National Domestic Workers Alliance

National Domestic Workers Alliance August 21, 2012 ·

With Ai-jen Poo, Guillermina Castellanos, Maria Hernandez, Andrea Lee, Stephanie St. Clair, Jill Shenker, Barbara Young, Perla Placencia, Jodeen Olguin-Tayler, Irasema Cavazos, Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA) and California Domestic Workers Coalition.

Nikema Williams was National Domestic Workers Alliance Deputy Director of Civic Engagement and Deputy Director for Care in Action. Ai-jen Poo was Senior Advisor to Care in Action, Jessica Morales Rocketto was Executive Director and Alicia Garza was Senior Advisor.

Jobs with Justice

On April 21, 2009, Heidi Hartmann spoke alongside Steve Husson, Arlene Holt Baker, Barbara Ehrenreich, Ai-jen Poo, Kim Gandy, Johanna Moon, Sherrod Brown at the DC Lobby Day for members of the Workers Rights Board of Jobs with Justice - Employee Free Choice Act.

Left Forum 2009

Left Strategy from the Grassroots:

• Harmony Goldberg, (Chair) - CUNY Graduate Center
• Steve Williams, POWER (People Organized to Win Employment Rights), Grassroots Global Justice Alliance
• Ai-jen Poo, Domestic Workers United
• Marisa Franco, Right to the City alliance
• Willie Baptist, Union Theological Seminary Poverty Initiative
• Gihan Perera, Miami Workers Center, Right to the City alliance

Left Forum 2010

The History of May Day and the 2010 New York May Day March:

• Larry Moskowitz, (Chair), Left Labor Project
• Ai-jen Poo, former Executive Director, Domestic Workers United
• Chung-Wha Hong, Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition
• Ed Ott, former Executive Director, New York City Central Labor Council
• Bhairavi Desai, Executive Director, New York Taxi Workers Alliance
• Frances Liu, Immigration Advocacy Field Coordinator, New York Immigration Coalition

Left Forum 2011

Transformative Organizing: The Ultimate Solidarity:

• Ai-jen Poo, National Domestic Workers Alliance; Domestic Workers United
• Cindy Wiesner, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance
• Eric Mann, Labor/Community Strategy Center
• Patrisse Cullors, Labor/Community Strategy Center
• Steve Williams, POWER

Case Studies of Successful Multiracial Campaigns Rooted in the Working Class:

• Ai-jen Poo, National Domestic Workers Alliance; Domestic Workers United
• Biju Mathew, New York Taxi Workers Association; Campaign to Stop Funding Hate; South Asia Solidarity Initiative
• Eric Mann, Labor Community Strategy Center
• Patrisse Cullors, Labor Community Strategy Center
• Priscilla Gonzalez, Domestic Workers United

US Social Forum 2010

As the “Tea Party” Right rises in U.S. politics and the U.S. Empire continues to reach around the globe, there is an urgent need to build a new left that roots a creative, explicit, anti-racist, anti-imperialist politics inside working-class communities of color. In this session, Ai-jen Poo (National Domestic Workers Alliance), Steve Williams (POWER), Cindy Wiesner (Grassroots Global Justice), Ng’ethe Maina (Social Justice Leadership), and Patrisse Cullors and Eric Mann (Labor/Community Strategy Center) will engage Mann's new pamphlet, The 7 Components of Transformative Organizing Theory, which identifies 7 core elements of social movement building that have powered grassroots organizations on their way to winning historic struggles against slavery, war, apartheid and empire. The 7 Components of Transformative Organizing Theory is a companion to Mann’s forthcoming book, The 21 Qualities of the Successful Organizing: A Journey in Transformative Organizing (Beacon, 2011).

National Leading From the Inside Out Alum

Ai-jen Poo, Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance, was a 2010 Rockwood Leadership Institute National Leading From the Inside Out Alum.

Pramila Jayapal made several friends on the year long course. Ai-jen Poo, Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance, Rinku Sen, Executive Director Applied Research Center, Ilyse Hogue, former Director of Political Advocacy and Communications, MoveOn.org, Judith Browne Dianis, Co-Director, Advancement Project, Vanita Gupta, Deputy Legal Director, Director of Center for Justice, American Civil Liberties Union.

The group has worked closely together ever since.

Take Back the American Dream Conference 2011

Ai-jen Poo was one of the 158 speakers who addressed the Take Back the American Dream Conference 2011 . The Conference was hosted by the Institute for Policy Studies, and Democratic Socialists of America dominated Campaign for America's Future,

Comrades

Jodeen Olguin-Tayler June 2, 2013 ·

With Lisa Adler, Jee Kim, Tony Romano, Dana Kaplan, Ai-jen Poo and Anj Ali A.

"The 99% Spring"

Individuals and organizations supporting The 99% Spring, as of April 20, 2012, included Ai-jen Poo - National Domestic Workers Alliance .

New Labor Forum

New Labor Forum is published by Center for Labor, Community, and Policy Studies, Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education & Labor Studies.

Editorial Board members listed, as of March 2013; were; Elaine Bernard, Ron Blackwell, Barbara Bowen, Kate Bronfenbrenner, Arthur Cheliotes, Mike Davis, Amy Dean, Steve Early, Hector Figueroa, Janice Fine, Bill Fletcher, Jr., Juan Gonzalez, Marie Gottschalk, Gerald Hudson, Lisa Jordan, Tom Juravich, Robin D G Kelley, Jose LaLuz, Nelson Lichtenstein, Manning Marable, Ruth Needleman, Ai-jen Poo, Katie Quan, Adolph Reed, Daisy Rooks, Andrew Ross, Kent Wong.

"Caring Across America"

Nancie Caraway, Ai-jen Poo, Neil Abercrombie

The Age of Dignity, Ai-jen Poo’s book about the challenge of elder care in America is "a daunting picture of need that outstrips our current capacity to meet it." Organizer of immigrant women workers, co-founder of Domestic Workers United, and Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) is purpose-filled and optimistic about building what she calls the “Care Grid.” In calling for the creation of nothing less than a national infrastructure of care, Ai-jen Poo sketches out a landscape of elder care and shifting demographics that demonstrate why “a universal baseline of support” is a matter of national security that merits the level of priority the US gives to defense.

Ai-jen Poo addressed several audiences while in Honolulu, last stop on a 16 city Caring Across America tour to spark the conversations families and the broader community need to have to radically remake the way we approach elder care. She spoke to a packed room at the University of Hawai’i, Mānoa, at a forum hosted by the Department of Sociology and co-sponsored by the Hawai’i State Commission on the Status of Women, the Hawai’i Immigrant Justice Center at Legal Aid, the William S. Richardson School of Law, the Women’s League of Central Union Church and Departments of Women’s Studies and Ethnic Studies.

Ai-jen Poo acknowledged the leadership of Dr. Nancie Caraway and Governor Neil Abercrombie, who were present for her talk, in making Hawai’i the first state after New York to adopt the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights.

CPA 40th anniversary

On August 4th 2012 to celebrate Chinese Progressive Association (San Francisco)'s 40th Anniversary. CPA was proud to honor the National Guestworkers Alliance and New Orleans Workers Center for Racial Justice, the Free MUNI for Youth Coalition, and Jobs with Justice San Francisco.

Host Committee:

Rolland Lowe and Kathy Lowe • Grace Lee Boggs • Josue Arguelles • Supervisor John Avalos • Angelica Cabande • Supervisor David Campos • Mike Casey • Supervisor David Chiu • Antonio Diaz • Reverend Norman Fong • Conny Ford • Maria Guillen • Alicia Garza • Roger Kim • Supervisor Jane Kim • Helen Kim • Jee Kim • Mario Lugay • Supervisor Eric Mar • Gordon Mar • Alisa Messer • Luke Newton • Supervisor Christina Olague • Vincent Pan • Tim Paulson • Ai-jen Poo • Raquel Redondiez • Peggy Saika • Shiree Teng • Makani Themba-Nixon • Helena Wong • Miya Yoshitani

Host Committee

The Chinese Progressive Association (San Francisco) Celebrates 45 years of Resilience and Resistance.

[[On Saturday, October 7, 2017, the Chinese Progressive Association (San Francisco) will celebrate our 45th anniversary with the theme, “Harnessing the Strength of a Thousand Rivers.

Host committee members were:

Fahd Ahmed, Alysabeth Alexander, Mike Casey, Myra Chow,Cathy Dang, Antonio Diaz, Supervisor Sandy Lee Fewer, Norman Fong, Conny Ford, Alicia Garza,George Goehl, Rudy Gonzales, Corinna Gould, Sherry Hirota, Dana Kawaoka-Chen, Helen Kim, Supervisor Jane Kim, Aarti Kohli, Laura Livoti, Gordon Mar, Xavier Morales, Vanessa Moses, Tim Paulson, Supervisor Aaron Peskin, Ai-jen Poo, and Mu Ping Poo, Supervisor Hillary Ronen, Saket Soni, Sarath Suong, Mabel Teng, Shiree Teng, Supervisor Norman Yee, Haeyoung Yoon, Miya Yoshitani, Anand Singh.

Revolutionary Strategies to Beat the Rising Right Wing

Revolutionary Strategies to Beat the Rising Right Wing, was a nationwide conference call organized by Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Sunday October 30, 2016.

What's the nature of this right-wing threat? What has this election cycle changed about the political terrain we're fighting on? How do we need to prepare for whats coming after the election? Hear about these crucial questions from our panel of top political strategists, including Nelini Stamp, Bill Fletcher, Jr., Linda Burnham, and Sendolo Diaminah.

Those invited, on Facebook included Ai-jen Poo.

#Our100

#Our100 was set up in New York City, right after the 2016 election. Following the election of Republican Donald Trump to the White House, women of color in New York City are joining together over the next four days in solidarity against misogyny, racism, Islamophobia, and anti-immigrant sentiments.

This action builds on October’s #GOPHandsOffMe protests, when women of color and survivors took to the streets and made videos in response to the tape in which the president-elect could be heard through a hot mic speaking about sexually assaulting women.

“Women of color-led coalitions are coming together in the first 100 hours after electing a new president to support an agenda for Black lives, immigrants, Muslims, Latinas … against rape culture and a sexist, racist, xenophobic policy,” said Agunda Okeyo, an activist, organizer, and African immigrant in the city who told Rewire in a phone interview that Trump is “a danger to democracy.”

Thousands will mobilize nationwide to tell the country that the leadership of women of color will not end at the ballot box. These first 100 hours are the kickoff to demand accountability from all holders of public office and to spread an anti-hate agenda that includes a vision for Black lives, common sense immigration reform, and an end to rape culture, according to the release.

A press conference by women of color leaders was held in Manhattan November 9. Speakers included My Muslim Vote’s Linda Sarsour, Demos President Heather McGhee, Movement for Black Lives co-founder Thenjiwe Tameika McHarris, Black Lives Matter co-founder Opal Tometi, and Demos Vice President Jodeen Olguin-Tayler, as well as survivors of sexual assault and immigrant rights leaders.

Leaders representing Black Lives Matter, Demos, Forward Together, and the National Domestic Workers Alliance worked together in the week leading up to the election to raise the national profile of women-led organizing. Those efforts culminated in the #Our100 pledge and a wave of actions nationwide.

“We have a lot more work to do, to build the America we deserve. But we are strong, determined, and we are just getting started,” said Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter and one of the organizers of this action.

Viviana Bernal of Demos and the #GOPHandsOffMe campaign told Rewire she is participating to end the culture of violence, rape culture, and sexual assault that many women have spoken up against since the Trump tapes went public.

“We believe Donald Trump basically admitted to sexual assault. Women of color and sexual assault victims felt triggered,” Bernal said during a phone interview. “He has been saying really racist, sexist things all along. It is only when his comments violated the rights of white women that it led to public outcry.”

The women of color participating in the campaign are outraged at all his vitriolic statements against marginalized populations and want to “center our voices and speak out,” she added.

“This election was a referendum on the politics of hate and division. We have a long way to go,” said Ai-jen Poo, executive director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

In conjunction with the launch of #Our100, the leaders will release polling data from Celinda Lake about women of color voters and an open letter to the nation to be published in major national publications this week.

“Our work did not start, and it will not end at the ballot box,” said Olguín-Tayler, a survivor of sexual assault, in a statement. “We are women who lead organizations, work in Hollywood, teach in our universities, women who are ordained faith leaders, who run large businesses; women who are mothers, who take care of our land and our elders. We came together across our differences to write this letter to our fellow Americans because we know we can, and must, do better. We need a nation that does right by women. Because when women of color are doing well, when Black and Muslim and Indigenous women in particular are doing well—this whole country will be well.”

“We stand determined to hold the vision of a just, inclusive America worthy of ALL of her people,” McGhee said in the release. “No longer can anybody sit on the sidelines. This election will be the last stand of the past, and tomorrow is already being born.”

Marxist meme

October 23, 2016 Jodeen Olguin-Tayler, Yong Jung Cho, Xochitl Oseguera, Latchmi Gopal, Heather McGhee, Nikki Fortunato Bas, Sarita Gupta, Alicia Garza, Laura Dawn, Agunda Okeyo, Greisa Martinez Rosas, Edith Sargon, Renata Pumarol, Ai-jen Poo, Trina Greene Brown, Naila Awan, Pramila Jayapal, Cindy Wiesner, Brigid Flaherty, Serena Perez and Angel Kyodo Williams, were part of a #GOPHandsOffMe meme.

Women's convention

Women’s March announced that U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) will open the Women’s Convention’s Friday evening program, which will take place in Detroit from Friday, October 27 to Sunday, October 29 2017.

Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Wendy Carrillo, and [Erica Ford] will also join the roster of over 60 women speakers, femmes, and allies of all backgrounds who will join thousands for a weekend of workshops, strategy sessions, inspiring forums and intersectional movement building. The theme of the Convention, “Reclaiming Our Time,” will honor U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), who will be headlining the Convention on Saturday evening.

“It was amazing to be part of the Women’s Marches and witness democracy in action...I fully expect to see that same turnout, passion and energy here in Detroit, and I look forward to speaking with women leaders from across the country,” said Senator Debbie Stabenow.

The growing list of speakers include: Angela Rye, Amber Tamblyn, Symone Sanders, Piper Perabo, Sally Kohn, Nomiki Konst, Leah Greenberg, Lilliana Reyes, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rebecca Cokley, Nina Turner, Stephanie Schriock, Ai-jen Poo, Aida Hurtado, Lenore Anderson, Stephanie Chang, Raquel Castaneda Lopez, Melissa Mark-Viverito, Sarah Eagle Heart, Rashida Tlaib, Brittany Packnett, Winnie Wong, Stosh Cotler, and the Women’s March co-chairs Bob Bland, Carmen Perez, Linda Sarsour and Tamika Mallory.

State of OUR Union

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal January 30 2018.

I'm thrilled to be speaking tonight at the State of OUR Union with all-stars like Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Rep. Judy Chu, Tarana Burke of the #MeToo movement, Cecile Richards, Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner of MomsRising.org, Alicia Garza and Ai-jen Poo. #SOTU.

She the People 2018 Summit

She the People's three-year initiative kicked off with its inaugural She the People Summit on September 20, 2018 at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco. The sold-out, first-ever national summit of women of color in politics drew nearly 600 attendees, mostly women of color, from 36 states.

Speakers included Ai-jen Poo.

“Unstoppable Women Workers”

Washington, DC -- From July 10-12 2019, in the midst a growing women’s movement, a delegation of domestic workers and farmworkers led by Jane Fonda and prominent activists lobbied Congress for safe and dignified workplaces.

The delegation, dubbed the “Unstoppable Women Workers,” included Ai-jen Poo of National Domestic Workers Alliance, Monica Ramirez of National Farmworker Women’s Alliance, Fatima Goss Graves of National Women’s Law Center, and others.

Guided by farmworker women and domestic workers, many of whom had experienced labor exploitation and sexual violence on the job, the delegation met with key lawmakers, including Senator Bernie Sanders (VT), Senator Patty Murray (WA), Senator Cory Booker (NJ), Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT), Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA).

Policy Demands Include:

• Expanding Title VII of the Civil Rights Acts to extend protections to all workers.
• Supporting the Fairness for Farm Workers Act to ensure that farmworkers receive overtime compensation.
• Passing a Federal Domestic Workers Bill of Rights to provide the domestic workers with basic labor protections, including the development of a new framework and mechanism that can extend

safety-net benefits to domestic workers.

The delegation additionally held a congressional luncheon on July 11, and a public forum at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center on July 12 that included Jane Fonda as the keynote speaker.

“The issue of workers rights has been very important to me for a long time. But with the rise of the TIME’S UP and #MeToo movements, this is a new reality.” said Jane Fonda, Academy Award winning actress and activist. “If we are truly going to confront and solve the issues of dignity, equality, rights and safety, we have to stand in alliance with our sisters across all sectors. I am honored to be here with domestic workers and farm workers as we call on Congress for policies that will uphold their rights and dignity. We are here for the long haul.”

“Domestic workers and farm workers are proud to be a part of a growing movement of women that are transforming the way we live and work in America,” said Ai-jen Poo, executive director of National Domestic Workers Alliance. “The workers who have been the least visible and most vulnerable are now at the center of our solutions, which means that when we win, no one will be left behind.”

“As we speak, many farmworkers are working 15 hour days to cultivate and harvest the fruits and vegetables that we eat,” said Mily Trevino-Sauceda, co-director of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas. “Hundreds of farmworker women around the country are leading to create change for our community. It’s imperative that we work together to ensure safe and dignified working conditions for all working women.”

“As care workers, we provide care to our loved ones and our most precious possessions. Our work makes all other work possible, yet our exclusion from many labor laws makes us vulnerable to exploitation and abuse,” said Myrla Baldonado, domestic worker and organizer with Pilipino Workers Center. “We need to pass stronger laws and enforce them to protect all of us, not just some. We ask you to stand with us. We must change the way America cares.”

This effort builds on this year’s Unstoppable Day of Action, which for the first time brought together more than 100 domestic workers and farmworker women to the nation’s capital to push for an expansion of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act among other workplace laws.