Workers' Awaaz
Encyclopedia
Workers' Awaaz is a nonprofit, nonpartisan
female domestic worker
s' group based in New York City
. Although the group supports all women in domestic services, its primary focus is on women from South Asia
(India
, Pakistan
, Bangladesh
, Sri Lanka
and Nepal
).
Workers' Awaaz was founded in June 1997 by Gulnahar Ahmed, a Bangladeshi woman who came to the United States
in 1993 to work as a domestic. Workers' Awaaz assists workers in ensuring that they are paid the minimum wage, receive overtime
pay, are aware of their rights under workers' compensation
laws, and receive training in basic employee rights and protection under state and federal law. The organization also sues employers on behalf of domestic workers for violations of federal and state laws, and organizes pickets and demonstrations against abusive employers.
Workers' Awaaz also works to build public awareness of the sometimes abusive conditions under which many South Asian domestic workers labor in the U.S.
Since many immigrant domestics are isolated by language, working conditions and restrictions placed on them by employers, Workers' Awaaz uses a variety of outreach efforts to reach workers in need. It places advertisements in various South Asian-related newspapers, sets up tables at South Asian community events, and engages in face-to-face conversations in markets and stores.
and other required government payments.
In 1998, Workers' Awaaz, working with the American Civil Liberties Union
, won a $20,000 back pay settlement. In January 2000, the organization won a back pay award for $50,000 from physicians who refused to pay a domestic worker for nearly three years.
In 1998, Ahmed was honored as a fellow of the Petra Foundation for her advocacy work with Workers' Awaaz. In 2000, the organization was awarded a Union Square Award from the Tides Center for its grassroots activism and strengthening of immigrant communities in New York City.http://www.unionsquareawards.org/v2/awardees/bio.asp?aID=69
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
female domestic worker
Domestic worker
A domestic worker is a man, woman or child who works within the employer's household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to cleaning and household maintenance, known as housekeeping...
s' group based in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Although the group supports all women in domestic services, its primary focus is on women from South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
(India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
).
Workers' Awaaz was founded in June 1997 by Gulnahar Ahmed, a Bangladeshi woman who came to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1993 to work as a domestic. Workers' Awaaz assists workers in ensuring that they are paid the minimum wage, receive overtime
Overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:*by custom ,*by practices of a given trade or profession,*by legislation,...
pay, are aware of their rights under workers' compensation
Workers' compensation
Workers' compensation is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence...
laws, and receive training in basic employee rights and protection under state and federal law. The organization also sues employers on behalf of domestic workers for violations of federal and state laws, and organizes pickets and demonstrations against abusive employers.
Workers' Awaaz also works to build public awareness of the sometimes abusive conditions under which many South Asian domestic workers labor in the U.S.
Since many immigrant domestics are isolated by language, working conditions and restrictions placed on them by employers, Workers' Awaaz uses a variety of outreach efforts to reach workers in need. It places advertisements in various South Asian-related newspapers, sets up tables at South Asian community events, and engages in face-to-face conversations in markets and stores.
Lawsuits
Workers' Awaaz has won several lawsuits filed on behalf of workers against employers who did not pay minimum wage, withhold taxes or make Social SecuritySocial Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
and other required government payments.
In 1998, Workers' Awaaz, working with the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
, won a $20,000 back pay settlement. In January 2000, the organization won a back pay award for $50,000 from physicians who refused to pay a domestic worker for nearly three years.
Awards and grants
In 1997, Workers' Awaaz won a $5,000 grassroots grant from the Ben & Jerry's Foundation.http://www.benjerry.com/foundation/grl_oct1997.htmlIn 1998, Ahmed was honored as a fellow of the Petra Foundation for her advocacy work with Workers' Awaaz. In 2000, the organization was awarded a Union Square Award from the Tides Center for its grassroots activism and strengthening of immigrant communities in New York City.http://www.unionsquareawards.org/v2/awardees/bio.asp?aID=69