The Labor Occupational Health Program (LOHP) collaborated with La Colectiva, a Latina domestic workers’ organization, and Underground Advertising to create a social marketing and media campaign. The Domestic Worker Safety & Dignity Project addresses the work life of immigrant Latina domestic workers, with the vision of transforming the work conditions within and the perception of this industry as undervalued women’s work to a respectable contribution to the economy.

The women of La Colectiva not only learned to use non-toxic cleaning products, but also how to represent their own stories in the media. The project outcomes included:
• Design of a successful city-wide media campaign in San Francisco
• increased visibility for La Colectiva and more employers hiring through the center
• Messages promting the dignity of domestic work

Transit ads, posters, billboards and outreach events aimed at employers and workers highlight the mutual benefits gained from this work relationship and communicate key messages:
• Support safe, dignified jobs for domestic workers
• Use non-toxic products to protect the health of workers and the people they work for


The project also involves training workers in training to learn about non-toxic cleaning, media skills and negotiation to improve working conditions.
Members of La Colectiva proudly appear in the campaign materials. Through a participatory process, domestic workers helped develop the messages and theme for the campaign: Comunicando poder y esperanza (Communicating Our Power and Our Hope).

For more information, visit the project website at www.lacolectivasf.org or http://newroutes.org/projects/domesticworkerdignity.