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U.S. NEWS Friday 19 July 2019

$ 10

About 10,000 au pairs to get paid in class-action settlement

By COLLEEN SLEVIN The settlement did not ad-
Associated Press dress whether au pairs are
DENVER (AP) — About entitled to higher minimum
10,000 live-in childcare wages in states and cities
workers from around the that have set them above
world will share in a class- the federal minimum or
action settlement in a case whether families should be
that challenged whether allowed to deduct room
they should be treated as and board expenses,
employees entitled to mini- something that is generally
mum wage or members of not permitted when they
the family learning about are seen as a benefit to the
the United States while employer. The federal ap-
helping out at home. peals court based in Bos-
U.S. District Judge Christine ton is considering the wage
Arguello gave final approv- issue in a case challenging
al to the $65.5 million deal Massachusetts’ inclusion
Thursday during a hearing of au pairs in its domestic
in Denver, saying the pay- bill of rights. David Selig-
ments to au pairs who filed man, executive director of
claims by the May dead- Towards Justice, said the
line would average $3,500 settlement provides impor-
each. tant reforms in the industry
About 160,000 au pairs who in addition to the payouts.
came to the United States In this Dec. 20, 2018 file photo attorneys, from left, David Seligman, Nina DiSalvo and Alexander “The outcome reaffirms
to work from 2009 to late Hood, of Towards Justice, pose outside the organization’s office east of downtown Denver. that everyone — includ-
2018 under J-1 visas were Associated Press ing low-wage workers —
identified as having the po- ate to be paid more than do things like feed back- exchange mission. has the right to a free and
tential to receive money the minimum $195.75 a yard chickens and help She also said the deal competitive marketplace,”
under the deal announced week required by the de- families move and not al- should require sponsors to he said.
in January. Notices were partment. The minimum lowing them to eat with the not only check on au pairs The practice of having au
sent to nearly all of them, pay is based on the federal family. more often but remove pairs — French for “on par
but about 10,000 filed minimum wage of $7.25 for A handful of former au host families who mistreat with” — developed in post-
claims by the May dead- 45 hours of work minus a pairs submitted written them, noting that agencies war Europe, where young
line. 40 percent deduction for comments to the court. now act in the interest of people lived with families
About 40 percent of the room and board. Echoing allegations in the the families who pay them in other countries to learn
deal will go to pay for ad- The agencies did not admit lawsuit, Alejandra Guada- fees to recruit au pairs. a language in exchange
ministrative costs, lawyers’ any wrongdoing. lupe Franyutti Ramirez of The settlement comes for helping with childcare
fees and other expenses. The lawsuit, brought by Queretaro, Mexico, said amid a movement to pro- and some housework. In
Lawyers for Towards Jus- 11 au pairs from Colom- she was fired and given tect the rights of domestic Europe, au pairs generally
tice, a nonprofit Denver bia, Australia, Germany, a short time to leave the workers, who were original- are limited to working 30
law firm that filed the law- South Africa and Mexico, country when she got sick ly excluded from federal la- hours a week.
suit in 2014, and the high- claimed the agencies col- soon after pushing back bor protections. A handful The concept came to the
profile New York firm of Boi- luded to keep their wag- about her duties while serv- of states have passed do- United States in 1986 when
ses Schiller Flexner were not es low, ignoring overtime ing as an au pair in Portola mestic worker bills of rights, the State Department
paid during the case. and state minimum wage Valley, California. and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris launched it as a cultural
The settlement also requires laws and treating the fed- Meanwhile, Eva Bein of and Rep. Pramilla Jayapal exchange program amid
that 15 agencies autho- eral minimum wage for au Germany, described hav- introduced a federal ver- a growing demand for
rized by the U.S. State De- pairs as the maximum they ing a positive experience sion this week. childcare.q
partment to connect au could earn. In some cases, with her host family said
pairs with families notify the lawsuit said, parents she objected to the settle- CAR RENTAL 5616944
both parties going forward pushed the limits of their ment’s focus on pay, fear-
that au pairs can negoti- duties, requiring au pairs to ing it could hurt the cultural
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