D.C. At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman announced Tuesday morning that her office has filed a bill that if passed, will require employers to provide written contracts to workers such as house cleaners, nannies, and home health aides. The Domestic Worker Employment Rights Amendment Act of 2022 will also extend protections against workplace discrimination and ensure workplace safety under previously established D.C. laws.

“They do incredibly difficult work for not high pay,” said Silverman during a press conference in front of the Wilson Building. “And because they perform that work in our homes, they aren’t treated the same way. They’re not treated with the dignity, respect, and just basic fairness than if they did that same work outside the home.”

Silverman was joined by members of the D.C. chapter for the National Domestic Workers Alliance, including Altagracia Kubinyi who immigrated from the Dominican Republic and works locally as a nanny. Kubinyi is advocating for domestic workers to be included in the D.C. Human Rights Act.

“My big surprise was when I discovered the little protections that exist for us domestic workers here in Washington D.C.,” said Kubinyi in Spanish. “As a domestic worker, I’m excluded from the human rights laws of this city as if I wasn’t a human being.”

Among the councilmembers who were there to support the bill were Christina Henderson, Janeese Lewis George, and Charles Allen. Lewis George, who shared her family’s history as domestic workers in the District, says that systemic racism is partially to blame for the lack of protections.

“A lot of what domestic workers are facing is rooted in slavery and indentured servitude,” said Lewis George, who represents Ward 4. “The prejudiced idea that domestic work should be done for cheap by women of color, and the practice of exploiting domestic workers relies on the isolation of the work and the lack of unions and protections that other workers have.”

Workers aren’t alone in the campaign for improved protections. Caroline Davis, who employs both a house cleaner and nanny, says she wants to help guarantee rights for domestic workers. She recently joined Hand in Hand, a national network of employers who advocate for improved conditions for domestic workers.

“Without these essential workers many other people – predominantly women – would not be able to participate in the workforce,” said Davis, a Ward 3 resident. “We want all workers, including the domestic workers we hire, to have their rights and safety protected.”

With the support of eight other council members right out of the gate, Silverman shared that she’s hopeful the legislation will pass before the summer recess in July.

“The next step is to have a hearing,” said Silverman. “I’m going to do everything in my power to have a committee vote and two legislative votes before the end of this council period so we can get this done.”

If the bill is successful, it could extend rights and protections to more than 9,000 domestic workers in D.C., many of whom are women of color and immigrants, according to Silverman’s office.