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Worker Centers Cut Abuses and Community Tensions

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Contributed by: Mike Richmond on 7/14/2008

A study of day labor in the United States recommends creation of more workers centers similar to Jupiter's El Sol Neibhborhood Resource Center in order to improve conditions in the day-labor market and address community tensions associated with day laborers gathering to solicit work near residential areas.

Nik Theodore, co-author of the study, "On the Corner: Day Labor in the United States," said the experience of worker centers around the country "shows that there can be a satsifactory coming together of the community around woker centers so that workers, employers and the community are satisfied."

Theodore, who is director of the Center for Urban Economic Development at the University of Illinois, presented the study findings Saturday at El Sol. He said that because day laborers usually live in the community where they seek work that they are a part of the community and should not be treated as outsiders.

According to the study, on any given day approximately 117,600 wokers are either looking for day-labor jobs or working as day laborers. Also, the day labor market is rife with violations of wokers' rights with laborers regularly denied payment for their work, and many are subjected to hazardous job sites. "Most also endure insults and abuses by employers," the study report said.

In addition to wage theft 44 percent of day laborers who were surveyed had been denied food, water and breaks; 32 percent worked more hours than agreed to with the employer; 27 percent were abandoned at the work site by an employer, the study said. It also noted that day laborers experience high incidence of workplace injury.

The report noted that investment in day-labor worker centers "is a prudent, practical and fiscally respnsible poiicy that communities across the United States should carefully consider. It further recommends "the creation of additional workers centers in cities across the country because we believe they can improve conditions dramatically in the day-labor market."

Theodore noted that 75 percent of the more than 60 day labor centers in the nation receive some form of government funding. The non-profit El Sol Center does not receive government funding. It is the only place legally sanctioned by the Town of Jupiter for employers to pick up workers. More than 2,050 employers and homeowners are registered at El Sol along with more than 1,000 workers.

El Sol is open seven days a week and offers English and computer classes, job training courses and others. For information call 745-9860.

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