“I used to be timid. Before, I always said ‘yes yes yes’ to anything I was asked to do. Now I speak up, I’ve learned the power of my voice.”
Domestic work is honest work. I can pay my bills, have money for food, rent and support my children.
Still domestic workers face many challenges when they begin this work. We don’t know our rights, nor the language, or if they are paying too low. If we are treated badly, we don’t know how to defend ourselves. And if we don’t know our rights, then we don’t know how to stand up for ourselves.
In worker rights workshops we’re trained how to do various tasks in homes, to use masks, gloves, safe products, to take breaks and to take lunch, to understand when we are doing overtime. I’ve learned so much about our health and safety. We learn how to stand up for ourselves.
When you get to a home you don’t know what type of person or situation you will encounter. Once when I went to a home, it was in really bad shape. It was filthy. There was trash strewn about, it looked like it had not been cleaned in a year. And the man scared me, he was by himself and it didn’t feel safe. I’ve learned through ALMAS Libres and our training, that if you don’t feel safe, you don’t have to stay. So I told the man I was leaving, and I did.
I’m helping other people, many who have been suffering in so many ways and feel very alone. I’m a worker leader now. I reach out to people and share information about their rights, about how to find work, how to use nontoxic cleaners. I invite them to our meetings, I see them in schools, at the laundromat, on the bus, and I tell them about the group and that will help them grow and build their leadership and confidence.
I used to be timid. Before, I always said ‘yes yes yes’ to anything I was asked to do. Now I speak up, I’ve learned the power of my voice. In our meetings at Almas Libres, we talk about our work and if we have a problem we support each other. I’m grateful for this group. It’s helped me grow in so many ways. I’m grateful to all our companeras.
