Hollywood Popular Artists

Sep 28th 2012, 19:25

It's the final countdown: there are two days left for California governor Jerry Brown to sign the domestic workers' bill of rights. Let the governor know how you feel about this! Why? we've got the deets on why this is such an important issue.

So why should the domestic workers' bill of rights matter to you? In America, there are about 2.5 million domestic workers who don't get the basic rights that other people get from their jobs, like being paid at least minimum wage. MTV Act editor Alexis Tirado talks about her own mom's situation working as a housekeeper and nanny, and points out how this California bill would give domestic workers things like "Equal right to worker's compensation" and "Equal overtime pay." These are just basic things that you wouldn't even have to ask for in a perfect world.

But Alexis isn't the only one behind this. Some celebs are also getting involved, especially Amy Poehler, who's made a PSA for the National Domestic Workers Alliance. Octavia Spencer, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in "The Help," also knows that you've got to, well, help the help.

The National Domestic Workers Alliance, which got started five years ago, is really leading the fight to help domestic workers and their rights. In fact, the NDWA got a big boost last weekend when they won in the Human Rights category at the Stay Classy Awards. The domestic workers' bill of rights (also known in boring political lingo as AB889) would be an important step forward for workers' rights, women's rights, and minorities' rights. We just need to get Gov Brown's signature -- and there's still time to let him know what's up.

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