To create a space for leadership of women workers and as a mechanism for achieving gender equality and economic autonomy, in 1998 the Workplace Project launched 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. 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 members of the National Domestic Workers Alliance together with other sister organizations, the members of the cooperative participated in the hard fought campaign for the passage of the New York Domestic Worker Bill of Rights.
In 2006 after a prolonged campaign, the UNITY cooperative obtained the support of Nassau County legislators to pass a county-wide Domestic Worker Bill of Rights. Signed into law in May 2006, the Bill of Rights requires all domestic worker placement agencies 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.
