Since the early 1900s when women began migrating to Canada to work as caregivers, we have been organizing. And we will continue organizing until Canada ratifies ILO Convention 189, until caregivers have permanent residency status upon arrival, and until all caregivers are treated with respect and dignity.
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International Domestic Workers Day, June 16, celebrates the 2011 passage of the International Labor Organization Convention 189 for Decent Work for Domestic Workers. Domestic workers from around the world came together to fight to establish this international law for domestic workers. The landslide victory represented an historic step forward towards domestic work being recognized as work like any other, and establishing fundamental labor protections.
To date, Canada still has not ratified this convention for Decent Work for Domestic Workers.
Since the early 1900s when women began migrating to Canada to work as caregivers, we have been organizing. And we will continue organizing until Canada ratifies ILO Convention 189, until caregivers have permanent residency status upon arrival, and until all caregivers are treated with respect and dignity.
Caregivers’ Action Centre (CAC) is a grassroots organization based in Toronto, Ontario, made up of current and former caregivers, newcomers and their supporters. Since 2007, we have been advocating and lobbying for fair employment, immigration status, and access to settlement services for caregivers through self-organizing, research, and education.
CAC is an active community of live-in and live-out caregivers supporting each other. We reach out to other caregivers to inform them about their rights at work, and support them when their rights have been violated. We organize focus group discussions, roundtables, and information sessions to raise public awareness on the issues facing caregivers and the need for change.
We believe that it is through an educated and empowered community of caregivers and our supporters that we can collectively assert our rights and effect true reforms of the oppressive system created by the Federal Caregiver Program.
Learn more about CAC:Â http://caregiversactioncentre.org/
Source:Â Caregivers Speak Out! International Domestic Workers Day 2017
