Hands clenched tight to maintain feeling in their fingertips, tear stains frozen across their faces from gusting winds whipping through at below-freezing temperatures, huddled together in rain-soaked parkas and donated blankets. These conditions are enough to break the resolve of any man, but these are not men; these are women Home Health Aides putting their lives and bodies on the line to protest against the legal and inhumane 24-hour workday in New York City.
Tragically, we were told the experiences observed on day three of this week-long Hunger Strike in front of City Hall are far less detrimental to these women’s health than years spent working as Home Health Aides. Many retirees lined the streets, pleading for Speaker Adrienne Adams to progress NYC Council Resolution 615-2024, or the “No More 24 Act,” to the floor for consideration. Guihua Song, from the Chinese Staff and Workers’ Association, vocalizes through a translator, said that the fight is personal; as retirees, “[…] we have been through this […] we know the damage that 24-hour work days have brought to our health and our families.”
