Domestic workers will once again march in Lakewood to demand higher pay.
“Domestic workers will march to demand morally just treatment and a $20 per hour minimum wage for domestic work, for passover $25 and more,” the organizer wrote. “With inflation and rising cost of living and transportation, $15 per hour is not enough to provide for families in the area.”
In an email to TLS they wrote, “In 2013, the Lakewood Township Council approved a resolution of support of a Lakewood Domestic Workers Bill of Rights that includes a right to a break, food, respect, a base minimum wage, and not working from one’s knees among other things. Workers have also added there should be no wage theft nor harassment. The march will also highlight that not all employers of domestic workers are in compliance with this bill of rights.”
“These points are especially crucial as Passover preparations are in full swing. During this time, domestic workers are working extra hard to help their employers receive the holiday. This can include up to 12 hours of work per day, lifting heavy furniture, cleaning out cars, and making sure that every nook and corner is clean. In the pandemic and before domestic work has been essential, domestic workers have kept families safe by providing clean and healthy environments for the homes of employers or taking care of employer’s children and elder ones. Yet domestic workers aren’t always treated as essential. As these issue go beyond just the Lakewood area, the march will also highlight the need for improved conditions for domestic workers on the on the state level as well, through the passage of a New Jersey Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.”
The march will take place in downtown Lakewood.
They get paid about $20 an hour off the books. It’s actually a pretty well paying job. Not saying it’s easy though.
When?
They are already charging these prices. What’s the march for??? Which cleaning address is still charging $15???
As we give away our last penny earned or even go into debt for holiday, they have a nerve to do this. Do they pay tuition? Property tax? Clothing? Food? Time to stop hiring.
Many people I know can no longer afford to hire cleaning help, I certainly can’t
They make quite more than base salary at most chain stores- Walmart, Dunkin’ Donuts etc and it’s cash too boot
I’m sorry but asking for more than $20 an hour while renting a room in a house with your entire family in that one room, receiving food stamps, and your husband working, how is it fair that I, as a citizen can only make minimum wage, pay full rent and not qualify for food stamps. Please make it make sense
I work hard for every penny I earn and I sit and watch the nice trucks, name brand clothes and accessories while I’m trying to figure out how to pay a bill let alone wear expensive clothing.
Hopefully the community will not pay more and if they do make sure they are working every minute they are there.
Please don’t ‘make sure they are working every minute’. Your employees should be able to break for a couple of minutes, drink and eat and breathe, and not feel like you are getting annoyed if they pause. Please treat all people well, especially those helping you and doing such strenuous work.
Honestly, when I have cleaning help for Pesach, I find myself doing the heavy work and the cleaning lady does what i consider “light housekeeping” folding the laundry and vacuuming the carpets..
All the children qualify for foodstamps, medicaid, wic, & public school/daycamp with many extra curricular activities.
Nobody works for $15 an hour. This group is well organized & they know how to get their needs met.
To Eli
What does your tuition have to do with them. They can ask and we can choose not to hire them . It’s a free country. You don’t have to pay more than yih eant to and they don’t have to work for less than they want. No marching necessary.
Please share which one of these domestics do this type of work and maybe I would hire them! You ask them to do these things and they look at you like you’re crazy! They specifically schedule their appointments during this time and manage to be deathly ill
Or have a death in the family before pesach. They get paid better than young girls starting out in an office. Their transportation paid for and free lunch! They don’t pay taxes on their income either!!! Give me a break!!! This is insane! I think perhaps they should also take less money when they work on pesach because all they do is wash dishes but somehow that takes as long as it would to clean a whole house. I’ll stop here because whatever I’ll write next will probably not be published!
Time we banded together and insist that we don’t pay more than minimum wage. This is ridiculous. There is no justification in 25$. Skilled labor with college degrees don’t get that.
We should get a social security number and give them a 1099 at the end of the year.
Domestic help gets a w-2 and you are required to alos have a workers comp policy and report this as part of your own tax return
When these “domestic workers” pay income tax then we can talk.
With all the illegal immigration, the price should come down.
I don’t have a cleaning lady, but I do know my daughter working in an office is just about making 25$, and she gets paid on the books! I wonder why they feel so entitled!! I for sure can’t afford it
Start cleaning for Pesah ’24 the day after Pesah ’23 is over. No need to hire cleaning help.
I think it’s great when they bring publicity to their ‘plight’ and attract the attention of others looking for work who consider the pay and conditions quite attractive thereby bringing down the upward pressure of inflated prices
They are greedy instead of grateful and only hurting themselves
Suppose “David” is a Lakewood resident who is not of the Jewish faith. Do these Pesach-focused domestic workers expect to charge him at least $25/hour for spring cleaning? If this increased wage will be charged only to Jewish households, then the domestic workers may inadvertantly be discriminating (though not illegally) in the workplace against potential employers based on their race/religion/country of origin. In the capitalist system, every worker is entitled to negotiate his level of remuneration, responsibilities (I don’t do windows.), etc. with a prospective employer.
According to microeconomic theory, this process continues until the market of workers and employers reaches equilibrium, i.e. the demand for workers equals the available supply. If a worker’s wage demand is considered too excessive by the available employers, he will not be hired.
I have more to say.
Suppose “David” is a Lakewood resident who is not of the Jewish faith. Do these Pesach-focused domestic workers expect to charge him at least $25/hour for spring cleaning? If this increased wage will be charged only to Jewish households, then the domestic workers may inadvertantly be discriminating (though not illegally) in the workplace against potential employers based on their race/religion/country of origin. In the capitalist system, every worker is entitled to negotiate his level of remuneration, responsibilities (I don’t do windows.), etc. with a prospective employer.
According to microeconomic theory, this process continues until the market of workers and employers reaches equilibrium, i.e. the demand for workers equals the available supply. If a worker’s wage demand is considered too excessive by the available employers, he will not be hired.
By the way, who is the rabidly, anti-frum Jew who set this in motion?
I just want to say something general in response to all these comments. Yidden, we’re in golus. Please tone down the rhetoric. Express your opinion in a polite, respectful and non-entitled manner.
My cleaning women is like family to us and treated very nicely, and she gets paid cash off the books $17 an hour. Which is $23 to me because I paid taxes on that $17. If she demanded $20 I would fire her and have my children sweep and mop and do laundry . It would be ridiculous to give them $20 cash . Even what we pay now is borderline stupid. Let them protest and most of them will be out of job especially where the economy is headed
Hey guys! I attend college in the Lakewood area and work as an EMT at $17.50 an hour. I would be more than happy to do your spring cleaning for $20.00 an hour cash. How can I get hired?
Amen
I would hire you. How to contact?
If they work 12 hours a day, that is because they chose to. I never heard of cleaning help (female) lifting heavy furniture or know anyone who ever asked them to.
Ill tell what, ill give you $30 an hour if you give me a ss# so i can 1099 you, your take home will be about $17 and ill take it as a tax write off. until then be happy with your lot
Um… nobody asked them to work more hours a day then they want to. They set their own hours. I don’t understand their complaint about working extra hours. Nobody forced you to work.
Wow! I read all the comments. I believe if you can clean your own home then do it. Hiring someone off the books is away for the employer to get over on the system anyway. Especially those that don’t pay taxes on the money. Also if the domestic workers were so concerned about how they are treated then they should of contacted the Labor Board. Or find another job that will treat you better.