FREE//GRATUITO
PUBLISHED BY ACCIÓN LATINA
October 6-19, 2022
Vol. 52 No. 20
APP MEANT TO HELP SF DOMESTIC WORKERS TRACK PAID SICK LEAVE, IN DEVELOPING PHASE
EN DESARROLLO, APLICACIÓN PARA AYUDAR A LAS TRABAJADORAS DOMÉSTICAS DE SF
Nota del editor: Este reportaje forma parte de una serie que analiza el impacto de la baja remunerada por enfermedad para las trabajadoras domésticas de San Francisco y el cual es financiado por la Red de Periodismo de Soluciones (SJN). El Tecolote fue seleccionado para participar en la serie laboral de dicha red.
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series looking at the impact of paid sick leave on domestic workers in San Francisco and is funded by the Solutions Journalism Network. El Tecolote was selected as one of the newsrooms to participate in SJN’s Labor Cohort.
Lorena Garibay
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Lorena Garibay
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El Tecolote
velin Alfaro has worked as a domestic worker in San Francisco for about 12 years, providing for her family doing a job that requires a great deal of physical labor. But when Alfaro fell ill, as humans often do, she found herself in the same position that other domestic workers find themselves in: having little to no access to paid sick leave. Alfaro ended up getting fired for missing work, and going to the doctor that day with no paycheck. In a historic move, San Francisco passed first-of-its-kind legislation on Dec. 14, 2021, granting paid sick leave to domestic workers. Yet as we approach the one-year mark of the passing of said legislation, questions remain as to how it will be enforced. The central tool that city officials and domestic workers hope will help facilitate the implementation of this ordinance is an app that will keep track of users’ hours worked, paid sick leave and funds. The development of the app is currently in its second phase, according to city officials and members of domestic workers groups, and has yet to be implemented among the workers. “We’re doing something very novel, hopefully we can create technology that would be accessible, but also usable,’’ said Lisa Pagán, strategic initiatives Director at the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD). Dec. 14, 2023 will mark two years since the paid sick leave ordinance went into effect in San Francisco to secure domestic workers rights
(Arriba) Guillermina Castellanos, co directora de La Colectiva de Mujeres e integrante de CDWC se dirige a los asistentes al festival Verano de Dignidad. Aunque ya no es una trabajadora doméstica, su brazo izquierdo vendado recuerda el trabajo intenso que realizan las trabajadoras domésticas y las lesiones que pueden sufrir. (Above) Guillermina Castellanos, co-director of La Colectiva de Mujeres and member of CDWC at the Verano de Dignidad festival. She raises her arms as she speaks to attendees at the festival. Although she no longer is a domestic worker her bandaged left arm reminds us of the labor intensive job that domestic workers go through and the injuries that they can sustain. (Abajo) Evelin Alfaro, trabajadora doméstica y miembro de Mujeres Unidas y Activas, junto a la mesa del Comisionado Laboral de California durante el festival Verano de Dignidad. Ha sido trabajadora del hogar durante aproximadamente 12 años, pero ahora también trabaja con Mujeres Unidas y Activas apoyando a otras trabajadoras del hogar. (Below) Evelin Alfaro, domestic worker and member of Mujeres Unidas y Activas, stands near the California Labor Commissioner’s table at the Verano de Dignidad festival. She has been a domestic worker for about 12 years but is now also working with Mujeres Unidas y Activas to spread awareness and support to other fellow domestic workers. Photos: Jeremy Word to receive what, by law, workers in other fields have been receiving for years. El Tecolote reached out to the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE) asking how many domestic workers have accessed paid sick leave since the ordinance went into effect, but OLSE didn’t respond as of press time. WORKING TOGETHER District 9 Supervisor, Hillary Ronen, along with the California Domestic Workers Coalition (CDWC) first introduced the legislation to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Oct. 26, 2021. California labor law states that employees are entitled to paid sick leave, which comes out to one hour paid sick leave per 30 hours of work. The OEWD is working closely with community members from orga-
nizations such as the CDWC, La Colectiva de Mujeres and Mujeres Unidas Y Activas. To better understand the wants and needs of the domestic workers who will become the users of the developing platform, the OEWD has been holding meetings to discuss such topics. In these meetings, workers voice their opinions and concerns about accessibility and usability of the technology, language barriers and the information that they may be required to give to sign onto the platform. Pagán stated that the platform is believed to be coming in the form of a portable app, but she also added that it may change depending on what occurs in the meetings. The app will be available in the relevant languages, according to Santiago Lerma, Ronen’s legislative aide. See SICK LEAVE, page 8
“We would definitely want to work with other ethnic and cultural media to share this information because nobody knows this exists or that it’s in the planning phase.” - Lisa Pagán, OEWD strategic initiatives director
El Tecolote
velin Alfaro ha trabajado como empleada doméstica en San Francisco durante unos 12 años, manteniendo a su familia con un trabajo que requiere mucho esfuerzo físico. Pero cuando enfermó, se encontró en la misma situación que otras trabajadoras domésticas: tener poco o ningún acceso al permiso por enfermedad. Alfaro acabó siendo despedida por faltar al trabajo y ese día tuvo que ir al médico sin cobrar. En un hecho histórico, San Francisco aprobó el 14 de diciembre de 2021 la primera ley de este tipo que les concede remuneración por enfermedad. Sin embargo, a medida que se acerca el primer año de su aprobación, sigue habiendo dudas sobre cómo se aplicará. La herramienta central que los funcionarios de la ciudad y los trabajadores domésticos esperan que ayude a facilitar ejercer esta ley es una aplicación que lleve la cuenta de las horas trabajadas, las licencias por enfermedad pagadas y los fondos. El desarrollo de la aplicación se encuentra actualmente en su segunda fase, según los funcionarios municipales y los miembros de los grupos de trabajadoras domésticas, y aún no se ha implementado entre las trabajadoras. “Estamos haciendo algo muy novedoso, esperamos poder crear una tecnología que sea accesible, pero también utilizable”, dijo Lisa Pagán, directora de iniciativas estratégicas de la Oficina de Desarrollo Económico y Laboral (OEWD). El 14 de diciembre de 2023 se cumplirán dos años desde que entró en vigor la ley de permiso por enferVea APLICACIÓN, página 9