National Domestic Workers Alliance

Domestic work has deep intersections with race in the United States; nannies and other domestic caregivers were explicitly excluded from hard-won labor protections due to the legacy of slavery. National Domestic Workers Alliance organizes these workers, who are often in precarious economic, relational, and legal situations. The emergence of AI-powered labor platforms like Handy that match workers to jobs could exacerbate labor conditions with inhumane algorithmic management. For example, a caregiver who is late to a job due to a situation beyond their control, like transit delays, could be automatically penalized by the AI management algorithm the platform uses where a human client would have understood and shown mercy. NDWA Labs, "the innovation arm" of the organization, is deploying technology to do just the opposite, "building products that transform domestic work jobs into good jobs by bringing respect, living wages, and benefits to an invisible, undervalued, and vulnerable part of the economy." That includes Alia, a digital platform that makes it easy for domestic workers to receive portable benefits such as paid time off and insurance, and La Alianza, a digital media platform and chatbot with over 230K users that make it easy for domestic workers to obtain vital information and resources to improve their working conditions. NDWA has organized over 250,000 workers to their movement in all 50 states, won 12 new rights through Domestic Workers Bills of Rights in 9 states and 2 cities, and support over 75 local Affiliates & Chapters.