Women’s Cooperatives Programs

Through our Cooperatives Program, the Workplace Project helped launch UNITY Housecleaners, Long Island’s first domestic workers’ housecleaning cooperative. To become a member, workers must complete a four-week course covering the essential components of running a successful cooperative and a training class on housecleaning skills. Providing a full range of housecleaning services, UNITY members earn between $15 and $16 per hour for worked gained through the cooperative. Ten percent of the money earned by each member is contributed back to the cooperative to help cover operating expenses and build a self sustainable organization.

UNITY Housecleaners members also organize to improve working conditions for all domestic workers. As part of Domestic Workers United, UNITY members supported the New York City Domestic Worker Bill of Rights legislation and then obtained the support of Nassau County legislators to pass the Domestic Worker bill of Rights locally. Signed into law in May 2005, the Bill of Rights requires all agencies that place domestic workers to inform workers about their rights to a minimum wage and overtime and other rights to which all workers are entitled, regardless of immigration status.

UNITY is now participating in the campaign to pass this legislation statewide. Join the campaign and support the struggle of domestic workers. Download the Bill of Rights Endorsement here: and the actual NYS Bill of Rights Legislation here.