In that movie Cleo was an inspiration. Her quiet dignity and nurturing presence held together a family where the marriage was breaking apart. The final climatic scene where Cleo, a non swimmer, rescued the children from the powerful waves was a pure act of selfless love.
And throughout ,she quietly endured her own trials and tribulations never complaining.
Cleo was a saint.
Hopefully this movie will be a large success and people who employ these workers will realize how important they are to their family unit.
Anything that will further the rights of Domestic workers is long past due.
62
Domestic workers definitely deserve a living wage and respect but don't use the maid in Roma as an example.
She is afforded no individuality because her whole persona is wrapped up in that family -- to the point that she's relieved when she loses her baby because her full attention should go to the family of her employer.
She gives love and support to that family, but is subject to rude harangues from the mother, and will be ignored by the children when they mature and move on, and hire exploited domestic workers of their own.
As drama, Roma is an extended, dull home movie, albeit well directed.
As agitprop, which is apparently how some readers here want to take it, it's a complete mess. The idea that the situation in Mexico is in any way paradigmatic of how to treat domestic workers is risible.
34
I don’t think we saw the same movie...
31
In a way, ROMA evokes the security of Cleo's position as a nanny. Rather than see her as enslaved, abused or underpaid- it felt like the economics of Mexico, village girls without access to higher education (and probably without ambition to become accountants...)made her place in the family as an option that served her well.
The human experience is complex; finding a place is hard and rarely perfect. Many tech workers (software engineers) may get big pay but have an an appalling work life that few envy. What is the best balance of meaningful work & security ?
Most stay at home mothers find child care and domestic tasks satisfying !
19
I am a domestic worker, I care for my adult daughter who is disabled and am paid by the state to do so. I am so grateful to my union- SEIU 775- for fighting for protections for myself and all other professional caregivers. Unions fight on our behalf so that people who whose voices are not listened to by those in power- people who are routinely underpaid and exploited- can make a fair living wage and enjoy protections others take for granted in this society. We must change the mindset prevalent in today's culture that comes out of meritocracy- that those who are on top worked hard to get there and deserve their protections, while those on the bottom are there because they are "unskilled" or lazy and so deserve to be exploited, and should work their way "up the ladder" to earn or deserve good treatment. Everyone deserves equal protection under the law. No one deserves exploitation and abuse. Domestic workers deserve better, and unions fight so they can get what they deserve.
85
One thing I learned is that there is no shame in living in Mexico.
1
A few years ago, the son of family friends married into one of the wealthiest construction families in Toronto. I was shocked at dinner before the day of the bridal shower when the bride talked about one of her mother’s maids, and mentioned that she, the daughter, never even spoke to the maid.
The sister-in-law-to-be said: “You NEVER speak to your mother’s maid when you are in your parents’ home.” Her reply was: “of course not. She works for my mother. What would I have to say to her?”
It was a startling example of how some people only recognize roles, not the humanity, of people who work in their surroundings.
In the film, the non-Spanish heritage servant clearly came from poverty, worked horrific hours, was a loved servant who literally saved a child from drowning, and who received empathy when she was pregnant.
But what happened with age?
4
OMG these household workers have so much dignity and moral authority, they save breaking marriages, rescue drowning children, they are like family! What’s that - why Don’t we pay them commensurate wages and benefits? Welllll.....
2
This is so ridiculous it's bordering on comical. If domestic work is subject to more government regulations, then it will also be subject to E-Verify, which would disqualify about 90% of domestic workers in LA. BUT most domestic workers in LA are independent contractors who have multiple clients and set their own prices. You have to be VERY rich to afford domestic workers as full time employees, especially who ONLY do childcare and not any cleaning or errands as the woman in that video is suggesting. And if you do fall into that category, you are almost surely using an agency because of insurance and liabilities issues as well as NDAs etc. My housekeeper is a former housekeeper of a huge Hollywood celebrity, and not even that actress employed her full time or as an "employee". I think people falling for this are extremely naïve and don't understand the industry or the consequences.
And, by the way, I lived in Mexico for years and did have a full time person there because labor costs are so cheap, and the idea that things are better in Mexico for domestic workers is hilarious too. I'd love to pay here what I paid there! And even there, the person set her own rates.
7
A worthy topic. But it doesn't stop Roma from being one of the most boring movies ever nominated for top honors.
5
Domestic workers are independent contractors who set their own rates. I've hired them my entire life and that has never not been the case. This agenda has more to do with funding a non-profit group's board members by preying on people who don't understand the difference between independent contractors and employees (which most domestic workers don't want to be because they're illegal, and therefore would fail the E-Verify process and have to pay taxes, etc). The goal is to get their cake and eat it too: stay independent contractors to avoid taxes and immigration status checks, and get their clients to pay benefits to them. There is no way the entire US labor code is going to be rewritten for this. So, again, it's just a way to fund board members of a non-profit organization by preying on the naïve and idealistic.
3
This film might have reached a bigger audience if it was allowed to go into theaters and DVD. But no, you have to join Netflix to see it.
4
The film did show her incredible athletic ability developed from running to and fro and up floors of stairs carrying laundry, which made it possible for her to balance on one leg and save drowning children by walking out of the water. A formidable woman with her big family to care for, asks for very little but is decidedly content. For me the viewer, an unmistakable humility check.
3
Perhaps a "central labor council" type arrangement that organized unions use. Workers are handed out job assignments and are paid by the council. The council withholds all necessary taxes, insurance, bonds, social security, does background checks, bonding, etc. Each individual could register with the council (and pay dues) listing what they are qualified to perform: dish washer, car washer, window washer, domestic, house cleaners, and so forth. The people (employers) seeking help could just call the labor council for what they need for a fee. The employer pays a central council that could be run by volunteers or the people looking for work. Perhaps even a retirement plan (in addition to ss), savings plan, medical plan might also be an option. This would be a single source set-up of sorts.
I'm really at a loss here and am just searching for something that may work. Hopefully more people will respond with some ideas, solutions, rather than what cannot be done. Anyway, sad and heart wrenching to read more examples of those left behind. We must remember, absolutely remember, that some wonderful, good and decent human beings are born with challenges (including myself) and are not as fortunate as those of us who can read (and afford to read) the NYT nor go to Ivy League schools let alone get a GED.
Sharing our bounty of goodness, kindness and wealth along with understanding of the less fortunate uplifts and enriches us all. Especially in these trying times, please love not hate.
What was most moving to me, aside from all else being talked about re this film was Roma herself. She was a mensch. No matter what she might do, think about or pine for, her humanity was transparent. When I spotted the actress laughing and happy at the Golden Globe Awards, I realized what a performance she had given in that film.
2
The impact of creating more rules around the hiring (and firing) of domestic workers is that less of these jobs will exist, but the people who have them will be in a slightly better position. What is the need for government here, and do we really want government more stringently regulating the people who work in the home? It's one thing where you have big employers who have huge scale negotiating with a single worker, which is often the case in the employment context; here you have individual families hiring individual workers. Does the individual family have so much market power that we need to involve government to correct the power imbalance? Of course not; unless we're talking about a two family town, there will be other potential families to work for if one family isn't offering acceptable terms. I'd bet there's substantially more people who would like to hire domestic help than people offering to provide such services.
And am I the only one who found the narrator's sob-story completely unsympathetic. She apparently didn't want to clean the house and was fired when she complained about being expected to do so. I respect drawing lines, but if you don't want to do the job the employer wants done, the relationship tends to unwind quickly.
But, sure let's create more causes of action and litigation between people under the assumption that people can't negotiate their own deals and live with the terms (or move on when the time is right). Everyone's a victim...
Shows you, where I've been, regarding the movies of late! When I saw the headline "What America Can Learn From Roma", the first thing I thought of was that fine Italian team that plays in Series A! Forget about, Black Panther!!!
2
Wake up people. If you won't pay your "domestic" worker a living wage, vacation pay, sick time, social security, etc., then stop the abuse, get up and DO THE WORK YOURSELF.
6
"Roma" is a movie- a lovely memory piece that takes place in 1971, Mexico City. It is not a documentary and bears no resemblance to life in the U.S. in 2019.
Labor protection for all laborers should be a right but it is folly to think that all 50 states share the same ideals around this issue.
And it is folly to think 'Roma" teaches labor rights any more than "The Thin Man" teaches how to function on 6 martinis!
7
Clever (and misleading) use of "Roma" !
A much -talked about movie used as a headline, to entice readers into reading an article that few would read if the headline read "Our moment - labor protection laws for domestic workers".
Roma is about the daily life of a maid in Mexico, but could apply to countless other countries.
A maid, is quite different than a nanny, Ms Orie.
Cleo's putting her life on the line is quite different than you putting your life "on hold".
I'm all for fairness and basic protections for all workers, in every country, but Roma is not about labor protection laws. In Mexico, or here.
3
Interesting concepts, however automation and AI should replace many of these workers soon, especially if they become much more expensive.
1
The film Roma does not indicate in any way a better way of life or standard of living for the
beloved nanny. She lived above the palatial family home where she worked probably for room and board. We never see her being paid. Yes they take her to a doctor and are nice to her but her opportunities in life remain limited.
29
i don't see the film as an example of how domestic workers should be treated. Better examples would be English period films where nannies were shown to be treated almost like a family member with a home in retirement. In Roma a lot was expected of the nanny but she was still treated like a maid which she was.
6
@Surfer
The house depicted in the film is not "palatial". It is a very handsome upper middle class house, but let's not exaggerate. Even if they were large, they had only one bathroom, for instance. You can still see many like it on the Roma neighborhood.
Maids did not, even in the 70´s, work for room and board only, they had a salary, although small. Working hours could be atrocious.
10
@Surfer: She doesn't even get a day off after she enters the surf to save the children when she cannot swim herself.
4
What kills me is that people try to go cheap when finding someone to take care of their kids. These are your kids for crying out loud!
14
Suggesting the impact of a single movie is strong enough to drive social policy is idiotic.
2
Didn't Mr. Trump hire illegals to work for him at Mar a Lago? I wonder how they were treated.
3
they got big tips i believe which is what they wanted
1
@mag2 they're no longer working there
All this is lovely banter but I’m praying for a Favourite win for Best Picture - or any contender over tedious if beautifully photographed, dull to the dirt in your nails, ROMA.
3
Obviously, domestic workers have raised untold numbers of ragamuffin children to the utter betterment of society. When I was young, I spent tons of time away from my house but at another home (friend) ran by a domestic employee. She fed me almost ever day (as if I belonged), when obviously I was gate crashing because I was hungry. I was one of several that got fed and cared for by this spectacular lady.
1
My father was a domestic chauffeur who had his wages repeatedly cut by his employer (a Robber Baron descendant) during the Depression. He and his fellow domestics were excluded from Social Security and other New Deal labor laws. Not long after returning from combat in World War ll, he was fired for getting married. His boss needed his full attention.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis, he was driving his Rockefeller family boss when he overheard her say, "When the missile sirens go off, I'll have Thomas drive us to the Berkshires where we will be safe." My father was supposed to abandon his family for hers.
My brother and I worked as children in the kitchen of a country club composed of the same kind of people that my father worked for. While studying history between meals one day, I looked out at the idle rich club members, pointed to the lawn tennis courts and said," We could set up the guillotine over there."
Two years later, I became an organizer with Cesar Chavez's farm worker's union. I've been fighting against the arrogant rich ever since.
9
Until I was in second grade, my mother worked as a nanny. The last family she worked for was incredibly kind and very generous. That was not always the case.
it is disgraceful that these workers do not have protections that the rest of us have enjoyed for the past four generations.
We also need to make it difficult and expensive to employ workers who are illegally in this country. Those workers, wonderful as they may be, drive down wages and working conditions for US citizens who work in hotels and homes.
Illegal workers drive down wages, particularly for low wage work. We need to put US workers ahead of foreign nationals, regardless of how worthy those foreign nationals may be.
1
While I agree all employees need to be treated fairly, there are a lot of ins-and-outs on that topic.
for example say I read an Ad that says housekeeper with a daily rate. I contract with her for 2 days a week. S/he and only s/he is responsible for their taxes, retirement etc.
In terms of fairness s/he sets the price and I either agreed or negotiated a different price.
As for as the work it is her chosen work, and I have a right to expect it be done reasonably well or s/he will not get to come back.
I cannot expect her to mow the lawn for free, but she cannot say she gets a paid vacation on my dime.
It is, in my opinion, best not to just jump on this bandwagon, lite your hair on fire, and start making grandiose claims before you identify exactly what you mean by fair for both sides.
1
It really depends on what the market will bear. Is it easy to find a really good domestic worker where you live? Do you pay a living wage? Contribute to a retirement fund or health insurance fund or HSA? Maybe he or she doesn’t want to work for you if you have that attitude. Are you more special than your own employer, for example, in that you feel you owe no benefits to people who work for you? What about if a large number of high demand domestic workers decided none of them would work without being treated as most other employees are? That’s called a union. - and I hope you learn exactly what that means, personally, sooner rather than later.
3
At the risk of generalizing, I always find it interesting that the same people who will buy shoes and purses with multiple zeros have a difficult time paying fair wages to people caring for their most precious "possessions", their children. Kudos to employers who do the right thing.
18
Where I live nannies get payed 20 /hr cash. That’s more than above minimal wage and more than I make as a doctor in training. We want women to have it all, but if someone could explain to me how I’m supposed to raise a kid while I am expected to work 70hrs/week without a nanny, please go ahead (daycare closes at 6 and I’m home by 7). I would also welcome how I am supposed to pay for such nanny if I myself only make 45,000 a year, and also pay for rent and food, without incurring in significant debt. We are all for advancing women’s careers, but unfortunately the only way for that to actually happen is to have affordable child care. Don’t make the people that use “help” seem like they are evil. We are also working hard ourselves...
8
@M I hear you having had a nanny myself for my child - one whom I also paid fairly well. I also provided significant vacation time and paid workers comp and paid on the books. I treated them as the professional that they are but that was also a choice that I made not strongly regulated by the law. The point, however, is not that all domestic workers are treated poorly or that you are treating them poorly yourself. The issue is what would happen if one did treat a worker poorly or they got hurt on the job or were harassed? Where would they go? Would they be able to address these issues without being fired or threatened given the power dynamics and unregulated nature of the industry. Being a doctor or doctor in training has its challenges no doubt including the aforementioned low pay and long hours. The low pay hopefully is temporary (though some would argue doctors in training themselves should get better protections).
For many domestic workers they do not have these protections. If you got hurt at the hospital on the job you would still be covered by workers comp or if you faced harassment you would at least have a (perhaps imperfect) channel to be able to address that. Most domestic workers don’t have these protections and the industry is quite unregulated. This includes everything from higher paid nannies in major urban areas to people working as minimum wage off the books home health aids. The point is - we all deserve these rights!
6
There are plenty of day care centers open later than 7 in Boston as well as certified in-home day care. It’s there if you want it, also, please do not compare $20 per hour/no benefits/pay your own everything to a salaried position even as a trainee doctor, whatever that is. Most doctors would say intern or resident - I question if you are any kind of a doctor in referring to yourself as a trainee.
3
@ You sound as if as a "doctor in training" you are entitled to "affordable" child care because your time is much more valuable than that of the person taking care of your children. It is incumbent upon you to live within your means and to factor in child care as you would factor in a mortgage or car payment as child care is as vital or more vital than those expenses.
No one is accusing you of not working hard, but your sense of elitism is apparent. Child care workers provide a vital service and they should not be subsidizing your lofty career aspirations at their own expense. Get your priorities in order.
5
It is now the time to talk about a guaranteed minimum income for all peoples. (especially for the people that are doing the work that goes underappreciated)
What we have now is a peace meal approach (as we do with all subjects in society - in particular for equality) trying to bring up the level of only a certain group of people. It should be for all people.
The conversation should not be about some up to par, but why are not ALL people up to par ?
5
@FunkyIrishman 'piecemeal' not 'peace meal' (which is served at my local vegan eatery.)
2
I wonder how many domestic workers realize that across this country, college and university faculty are comprised of up to 80% adjunct professors who work for minimum wage without a contract, who have no assurance of rehire, who have no assurance even of classes they have been scheduled to teach, who have no health benefit, and for whom "retirement" is a cruel joke. These are people with graduate degrees and enormous workloads who must collect unemployment between semesters and who qualify for HUD, WIC, and SNAP, among others. They sometimes live in their cars and they sometimes die early of stress related causes.
11
Why should they care? They are dealing with their employment issues and conditions, in part by rallying outside support— adjunct exploited labor has to do the same. We are no better than any other exploited workforce. Success comes with solidarity, not snobbery.
@DMS This is not a contest to see who gets treated the worst! Your situation is exploitive, abusive, untenable as well. Your suffering does not decrease the value of others' suffering. We are all in this together. I think the best thing for adjuncts would be to work toward unionization as domestic workers have done. Believe it or not I have been an adjunct and am now a home care worker due to my adult child's sever disability. They are both exploitive and both need to be reformed so that workers are treated fairly. Unionize!!!
1
@DMS
And your point is?
That both adjunct professors and domestic workers should band together? Yes? good point
1
Most of the domestic workers I've known wanted their pay under the table to avoid taxes or having to report income that would interfere or negate their public subsidies. It seems the situation was a vicious circle and cycle that has backfired on everyone.
7
@Panthiest they want to be paid under he table because the wages are so low. Once you tax a low wage, they are left with nothing. Vice versa, the employer is happy with paying under the table because they can pay less while giving the impression that they are paying more
3
@Panthiest That's because most are illegal. Also, they're independent contractors who set their own rates so the only reason their rates are low is we have too many unskilled illegal workers competing for the same jobs and they need to charge competitive rates or they won't have a job at all.
1
This is a big mix up of apples and pears!
Roma depicts, the typical live in maid that was and still is a very common feature in middle class families in Latin american countries.
In many of those countries it was only recently that these domestic workers join the "legal" labor market, meaning getting benefits , retirement , etc.
Before that, a live in maid, yes ,could be treated as part of the family, in many cases be a second mom to the kids.
But from a labor point of view, these maids were not treated fairly.
So do not mix apples and pears.
One thing are the memories of Cuaron and Libo, depicted beautifully in the movie, and another thing is the important matter of how this kind of work is valued .
If anything someone could well criticized the movie for not showing at all, that aspect in the life of Cleo.
The movie is a memoir, that happens to have a maid as one of the protagonists.
4
In Trump's America?
I think not.
The rich will get richer and they don't care about the others.
5
Domestic and service workers were originally malignly excluded from Social Security because they were majority black African Americans.
10
America, founded on slavery and indentured servitude and sticking to its immoral Jamestown business model until Greed Over People freezes over.
The business of America is unfettered, sociopathic greed.
America needs a radical shift to the left in public policy from its current Randian, Robber Baron dystopia of modern feudalism, 'free-DUMB' and good old-time religion for the duped masses.
We should start by soaking the winner-take-all class with some higher taxes on their capital gains, dividends and ending their 0.1% welfare queen tax preference programs.
22
@Socrates: We're going to impose higher taxes on Mexico? That's where the film took place.
"America, founded on slavery and indentured servitude"
Agree with you there, but that includes virtually all of the Americas if you throw in genocide.
1
A good manny is worth her weight in gold . Working as a domestic is better paid than many low skill jobs, and the nanny’s I know would only qualify for those. Wouldn’t every employed worker want employer provided health insurance? That’s not a reality in the US.
Domestic work is an honorable job that provides relative job security.
If we price nannies out of the reach of middle -to-high income families , we are making life more difficult for 2 earner families and eliminating steady job prospects for people who may not be employed at all given their skills.
Yes there will be abusive families who take advantage- but , sadly is that not true of every industry?
@Barbara Vilaseca: The perspective held by many of this board is that those who hire domestic help are part of the 1%.
The reality, as you allude to is different.
1
I totally agree with the woman in this video.
I employed a housekeeper/nanny when I was raising my kids. With my first kid, I did not earn enough so he was in church run day care. But when the second came along, my husband and I earned enough to hire a lady who was with me till my younger child turned 12.
I paid her salary as well as social security - both her share and my share, so that she could draw social security once she had put in the required number of quarters.
Sure, I paid more than my acquaintances who paid minimum and certainly no social security but I slept easy, knowing that I had done my fair share for people like her who make it possible for people like me to continue our careers.
Those who can afford to have domestic help, can definitely afford to pay for all the things that this video talks about. Those who are well-to-do are often amazingly penny pinching when it comes to paying a fair wage to their domestic help.
191
@Meenal Mamdani
I got a housekeeper when I was in my early 20s because I worked full time, had two kids and a husband. I paid her $15 a week and I knew she was illegal because she would have me pick her up at a house where upwards of 20 people lived on mattress throughout the rooms. Once she called me to pick her up somewhere and when she got in the car she laid on the floor because she said immigration had discovered their house. I paid her more than my friends paid their housekeepers because I never saw her as anything but a godsend and didnt look at other people as less than myself. Her name was Maria and I loved her...she offered to do so much more than I hired her for. Told me if I bought a washer and dryer she'd change the beds and do the laundry. I told her to never answer my doorbell and that's how I lost her. Jehovah Witnesses came one day and she answered the door and they told her working for me was a sin and she would go to hell...when I got home that evening, she quit.
1
@Meenal Mamdani:"Those who can afford to have domestic help, can definitely afford to pay for all the things that this video talks about. "
That's a generalization that isn't true across the board. You're projecting your financial situation on others.
Someone who hires domestic help with little or no margin left - would you forbid them from hiring domestic help?
1
@Jp if you can't afford to pay for these things, then you can't afford domestic help. If you can't pay a tip, then you can't afford a restaurant. If you can't pay a living wage, then you can't afford to stay in business.
33
Until those in power and those who hire domestic workers understand the value of these workers, things will probably stay about the same. It is shameful that throughout history and even today, we put more value on lawyers than we do on educators and the many who do the "grunt" work in our society. The claim that's made is that lawyers have spent so much time getting their degrees, passing tests, etc. that they "deserve" more. I posit that the people who are charged with the lives of children are equally valuable. That many of those who hire domestic workers are high earners makes it even more important to pay 'the help' a decent wage. After all, they are raising the next crop of Drs. and lawyers and other professionals, are they not?
117
@Elizabeth They set their own rates and it's a competitive field as there are too many unskilled workers in the US so if they go above market rate, no one hires them. It's partly our too generous immigration policies that keep them in an overpopulated worker class. I've had domestic workers my entire life and never once were they paid anything other than what they said their rate was. And like everyone, I don't hire anyone that's charging over market rate. That's the way our economy works. And that's the norm not only here in LA, but everywhere around the world I've lived. Even Mexico.
4
I guess what bothers me most is that we need a separate law for each class or type of employee. Every person who is employed in the United States should be able to expect the same level of fair treatment. Why do we need to codify every single one? Oh, that’s right. Not every person hiring in the United States feels compelled to treat their employees fairly. My bad.
148
@From Where I Sit I disagree. Accomplishment or wealth does not determine the “degree” of one’s humanity. All people are entitled to a certain minimum level of respect and security. Agree to disagree. I assume you’re an Ivy Leaguer or the equivalent.
28
@EJS
Please re-read my comment. I am a 1099 contractor who supervises minimum wage warehouse security guards and pickers. They make more per hour and often per week than I do. The problem is that turnover is astronomical due to thinking like yours. Everyone these days seems to think they are more important than the job, the clients and company profits.
15
There are obvious, necessary and earned differences between different jobs and the skills/education/personality needed to perform them. An oil change tech at a local dealership cannot expect their work environment to be anywhere near that of an Ivy Law school grad. My minimum wage security guards and warehouse workers and I haven’t earned the treatment and status of a Big Four accountant. If you want to be treated well, you need to attain a job where that is the norm. The fact is that most people have to accept that they will not.
24
No one is mentioning that the bill includes things many US workers don't currently enjoy, including an employer funded retirement plan and paid health insurance.
I'm all for fairness and protection of basic rights. But, according to the article, the goal is to make domestic work "a really good job" akin to old manufacturing jobs.
Those old jobs were paid for by companies making huge profits. These new ones will be paid for by working parents, many of whom struggle to keep afloat.
3
@Talbot The article I refer to is in The Nation. That reference was deleted by an edit.
2
@Talbot If the parents struggle so much to stay afloat, maybe one of the parents should stay home and take care of their own kids instead of quote hiring unquote a virtual slave.
3
Once a slave nation, always a slave nation.
10
@Jude Parker Smith What you say is scary, but true.
Absolutely, bought time, bravo!
When you go to work today and are having coffee or lunch at the mall think about that woman cleaning the table and putting the trays away, the woman at home taking care of your child, the woman cleaning offices after her day job. The cleaner in the hospital.
And what do they get: grief from the elites who don’t care enough to pay the social security etc, big joke, they don’t loose their job.
The legislators of America hate labour, that they have to pay for it, acknowledge it or advocate for the poor is someone else’s job.
In America when your poor or doing domestic work you are a slave, because that’s the idea of work in America, home of the Theif and land of the slave.
Need I more proof, read the comments.
5
Where is all the money going, asked an honorable American, a responsible working-class man, with an extended family who placed his faith in the president. The Military, I lamely ventured. Neither he, nor I would pass our citizenship test at best.
His humor falls into the juvenile, making me laugh; making both of us laugh. 'She watches those foreign movies' was one introduction to his family during last Christmas.
He was not brought up by a 'Cleo', and would be unable to relate to Cuaron's movie documentary on the impoverished living conditions of those who care for us, in the absence of parents, whose lives are falling apart.
A movie companion of forty years watched 'Roma' in the sunlight of Latin America earlier, and her verdict was that it was a dull domestic story. She forgot that recently a nurse was on site and by her side after undergoing surgery.
Homage to 'The National Domestic Workers Alliance', and let us protect these nightingales in turn. You will see them daily, patiently at work following their elderly charge, or scrubbing the floor for a party, forgotten and invisible to the eye of many of us.
'Roma' is a reminder for those of us who should know better that the director is not only addressing his childhood memories, but the far greater cause of allowing our domestic and care workers to fall between the cracks.
Con 'Amor' to Mr. Cuaron for this reminder of the plight of women, bringing to mind 'Our Lot in Life', as a strong African friend might say.
6
US Labor Laws don't see domestic workers as human! In Mexico they do! They are protected.
4
@Joanne How are they protected in Mexico ?
If they don't pay taxes on their cash income, then they are willfully committing a crime and deserve no respect.
3
@asdfj This isn't a one-way street. If the workers attempted to pay tax, the IRS would want to know how and from whom they earned their money. Somehow, I don't think their employers would be thrilled with this.
1
@asdfj
So are those that are paying them. The pendulum swings both ways.
3
Their cause is just and they deserve the recognition they are demanding, and don't mean to sound overly didactic, but the word human is never a noun but always an adjective. Recall reading that in Strunk and White's "Elements of Style,"so "human beings" conforms to correct word usage in this case, not "humans!"
“The Help” also comes to mind, doesn’t it?
Who do we think we are, taking advantage of “other” women?
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The reason that labor protections were enacted for workers such as factory workers and truck drivers was because of the fact that they worked by the hundreds or even thousands for a single employer who held the fate of so many in his hands. This was also due to the fact that they all did the exact work so were very easily replaceable.
What they all had in common was an employer who could get away with the most unfair of conditions because the employees could do nothing about it.
On the very opposite side of the spectrum are workers where not only does each one work for an individual employer, there is a such a vast range between the quality of service different workers have the ability and experience to provide and what different workers specialize in, that each worker is basically their own commodity.
A potential employer who needs a "domestic worker" will most certainly not hire anyone who falls under the broad description of a domestic worker. And this is because they seek a very specific type of individual based on their work background, experience, areas they excel at, overall quality of their work, to name just a few criteria an employer will be looking for.
And as such it makes no more sense to have a single set of labor laws for domestic workers as it would for any other worker that provides a service such as a chef, a butler or even an architect or lawyer. They are no more interchangeable , the way truck drivers are, than any other service provider.
We don’t cover domestic help or wait staff in restaurants because even in the Depression those jobs were held often by Blacks and no one wanted to disable white privilege or extend government protection to that outcast population. If Americans really were concerned they would enable legislation for child care in a meaningful way with numbers that reflect the actual costs to families. The difficulty with passing minimum wage laws for nannies etc. is that families are not profit making entities with tax reductions and write offs. The amount of money that you can take off for child care is absurdly out of touch with its real cost.
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Those foolish Founders Madison, Hamilton, Washington and Franklin forgot to include in the original Bill of Rights a special "domestic" amendment? Shame on them. Were they so busy creating a republic that they couldn't find a couple hours to watch "Roma," the Most Important Film of Our Time?
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@Ed L. Well maybe it was because they had no need for domestic workers since most, although not all, of the founding fathers were slaveholders.
@Ed L.
The founding fathers (Washington, Jefferson, etc) did not give their domestic workers any rights in the original Constitution but were counted as 3/5 of a person and called slaves.
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I agree with Tiny Tim. We're all in this together...we're all domestic workers...We're all struggling to make a buck under various circumstances...There is nothing special about anyone's plight to turn a buck. On the other hand, If you are not satisfied with your income, do something about it. The proverbial 'FIXED' income I constantly hear about is usually self fixed..If you don't do anything about it, it will remain what it is....
All workers should be protected by our labor laws including farm workers, camp councilors, and those taking care of children at day care facilities.
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When we hired an in house nanny, our ad said we would interview only candidates legally able to work in the US and that we would follow state and federal laws regarding overtime, taxes, workers comp, and unemployment insurance. We issued a W2 at the end of the year. It is the law.
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I once considered hiring some domestic help. I found a person and we agreed on pay but when I wanted a social security number so I could report and deduct for ss, she said no. Cash and no deduction. I demured and have in the future dealt only with cleaning firms who do the hiring and reporting. It isn't easy to deal with both federal requirements and the workers who at retirement time also want the ss and medicare benefits but have skipped the prelude of years of paying those taxes.
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@Monty Brown. And did you hire someone?
Not all domestic workers are illegal but I assume you are not going g to be able to pay a north American citizen salary, that is the double moral responsibility and obligation that we are not ready to assume!!
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You want to change that? Vote for Bernie Sanders and all Democratic candidates. Actually show up at the polls in huge numbers.
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The video makes a perfectly strong case. The comments are a lot of ‘what about-ism’. This is about fair labor law, not whether Amazon and Trump pay taxes. The vast majority of households do not employ any sort of domestic child care/maid, so politically it can pass. Write it, pass it in Congress, put it in practice and enforce it.
Beware the consequences - welcome , unwelcome, intended and unintended.
All workers in all industries should be treated with workplace dignity. They must have legitimate SS numbers. they and their employers must follow IRS rules which include the 15% FICA and Medicare tax to be paid off the top of the legal salary. The rest of the benefits such as health care and paid time off should be just the same as it is in any other work situation - be it retail, office, factory etc. Unfortunately that is often , nothing guaranteed, but negotiable of course. The better employers will offer it and get the pick of employees. If a minimum salary is implemented and taxes are levied there is also the question of housing. So then, if the care giver lives on premises she or he will then pay rent to the homeowner/employer ? That is logical. Hence the homeowner will need to declare that rent as part of income but can of course, deduct the expense of the living area as a cost of doing business as an employer/ landlord.
That is how this would have to play out if it is done “on the up and up” , legal and transparent as a employment arrangement would require.
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@Will Eigo I have to disagree. I wish domestic worker protection existed but politically it can not pass in the United States as the US is not a democracy but a plutocracy and the people in power (the plutocrats who control everything) all employ domestic workers and will be very negatively affected by any worker protection for domestic workers.
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There is more than a kernel of truth to your argument. So many would be politicians and political appointees have fallen due to the ‘illegally hired nanny’ episodes. But I am more sanguine. I think the House of Representatives could produce such a bill. I think the Senate could possible pass it. And I doubt any sitting president would dare veto it. So, let’s see what comes of the movement. However, the difficult part is: the many happy but not legally authorized domestic workers could be put in a difficult situation if their bosses obey the law.
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Wives are full humans (now that we're allowed to vote) who traditionally have done unpaid domestic work ("Man's work is sun to sun, woman's work is never done), childcare, cooking, cleaning, laundry. "Hired" domestic workers are unpaid nannies and cooks and laundresses cleaners because they do the work allocated to wives.
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In a matrimony , she has full entitlement to all that the household generates in financial terms. On equal footing as the man who brings home the bacon. They are co-equals I hope. If not, wife can leave and request spousal maintenance in accordance with the household income. Wiser also to discuss the household chore load division before marriage too.
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@Will Eigo
It is clear, dear Will, that you have never been a wife. Often, the best of agreements go awry. If I had forced my ex to pay compensation for all the years I WORKED OUTSIDE THE HOME AND DID ALL THE HOUSEWORK, I would be quite wealthy. Yes, there were some perks, especially for him.
While things are better in 2019, it is still the women's "responsibility" to make sure everything gets done. Witness the studies that show women are still doing the majority of "wifely duties" even when working. Too many men simply slack off until women do the work themselves in frustration. Remember the "Little Red Hen?" Unfortunately, she is still very much with us.
All domestic workers should receive benefits and a living wage which is now $l5 an hour plus benefits.
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@Will Eigo I assume you are a man. You seem unaware of the financial disparity between wives/mothers and husbands/fathers. Not equal footing, not at all. Not co-equals financially. Spousal maintenance? Ever look at what courts award wives/mothers in child support and alimony? You describe an ideal world; I know for a fact it is not.
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Yes, domestic workers are full humans and should be treated as such!
Roma took steps in this depiction, but I would have liked more. Notice the contrast in the movie between Cleo, largely silent and utterly compliant, and her more vibrant friend in the kitchen, a cheeky woman one could imagine breaking the rules.
Next time, I hope we get a movie from the second perspective. She’s more the kind of woman I see advocating for domestic workers’ rights.
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The lack of protections is a direct reflection of the universal use of domestic workers by people in power and influence. Very few people in power directly employ a factory worker or truck driver but they all employ domestic servants. People in power do not want to give up this perk of power.
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@s K Of course, that doesn’t make it right.
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I agree with your point and add. Domestic workers are relatively hidden, splintered rather than organized. That works against their cause. Also, they are often from means and education that are not accustomed to speaking up to domineering or powerful persons, especially if their livelihood is at stake, so a movement such as this is necessary. Finally, let’s be frank. There is a considerable proportion of these workers who are not authorized to work legally in the USA. Therefore, they realize that such rules could work against them.
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@s K
I agree. FDR omitted domestic workers and farm workers from the Fair Labor Standards Act which set a minimum wage and overtime requirements for hourly workers. He did this to get southern senators and representatives on board who would object to paying their (Afro-American) domestic workers and field hands.
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I recently went through the god-awful process of trying to find a nanny who was willing to work on the books (which, of course, costs me more as the employee). I probably spoke to 30 people, only one or two of whom were willing to have taxes withheld even though I pay a good rate including overtime and paid vacation. Until domestic workers are willing to pay their taxes like the rest of us (and other employers will do so as well), I’m underwhelmed by this argument.
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@Jmf Yes, everyone should pay their share of taxes, but Amazon and GE don't pay federal taxes either. That is just wrong.
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@Jmf I imagine that the two nannies willing to be paid fully on the books got their health insurance through a spouse’s plan. The reality is not that they don’t wish to pay taxes (which reaps them SS benefits and other safety nets like paid family leave). Having little to no income on their tax returns qualifies them for government entitlements such as Medicaid, etc. With a full nanny income on the books, one would likely qualify for an Obamacare plan with subsidies, but the deductible would likely be unaffordable. Household employers are less incentivized to put put their nannies on the books because the allowable deductions for childcare max out at $3k (or $5k with a Childcare HSA). It also is more expensive. And frankly, most of them just don’t care to do what’s right.
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@Amy. The disencentives for above board pay for both employer and employee are huge. Frankly, the cost of a “nanny” is prohibitive for most middle class people. They “manage” it because one of the household paychecks usually goes for the nanny. The earner of that pay will continue to accrue Social Security and sometimes will have health care. In the long run that’s the only thing making it tenable for the early years of a child’s life.
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This article documents an enabled, existing ummenschlich paradox. "While labor protections exist for factory workers, truck drivers, teachers, they do not exist for domestic and care workers." And for who else, NOT?
Labor protections, as consensualized norms, values, ethics, traditions, legacies, regulations and laws, in a democracy such as the USA, are not a shared resource for achievable, equitable wellbeing for ALL. This differential in protection differentiates whom and what from WHOM and WHAT?
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Sorry to say, I do not agree that the live in maid in "Roma" is treated with respect. Here in Ulster County the lowest price for a "cleaning person" is $20 an hour. Fair because it is part time work. Some loophole in the law allows domestic workers in the same family to avoid any liability tax.
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I’m not sure what you’re saying. Is it that domestic workers don’t pay taxes? Amazon hasn’t paid any taxes for the past two years. When Bezos pays up I’ll start worrying about the cleaners and nannies.
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New York State already has a domestic worker bill of rights. The point is to extend the right to fair wages and labor conditions to all 50 states and non-contiguous terrorities. Some domestic workers live under conditions tantamount to enslavement, including unpaid wages and severe punishment for attempts to leave or speak up. That's because the lack of rights is explicitly rooted in slave & Jim Crow culture. Do not make excuses for that culture. And do not try to distract from it with arguments about tax loopholes when the President, his son in law and the world's biggest corporation pay zero taxes. This is about basic human rights. Focus on the women in the film.
@Sally Grossman
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@Cee Williams
Roma is just a movie you know. It's fiction. The characters are not real people.
1