Thread: Day labor moved to front burner, Az

Day labor moved to front burner
Valley's 1st regional forum convenes this week

Edythe Jensen
The Arizona Republic
May. 31, 2005 12:00 AM

The politics of immigration likely will take center stage this week in the Valley's first regional discussion about day labor.

The Regional Day Labor Issue Forum on Thursday in Chandler will host 11 panelists, including a California day-labor-center advocate, a Phoenix police commander who worked near a labor center and a Chandler contractor who wants cities to get tougher on undocumented workers. Human relations commissions from Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert, Scottsdale and Chandler are sponsoring the forum.

"The issue of immigration tends to cloud the day-labor issue and interfere with practical solutions," said Chris Newman, attorney for the Los Angeles-based National Day Laborer Organizing Network and a forum panelist. "There has to be fundamental recognition that a city can do nothing about immigration." advertisement




Panelist Wayne Shapiro, an executive for Scottsdale-based S and S Builders, disagrees.

"Cities facilitate the day-labor problem because they don't enforce immigration laws," he said.

Shapiro said he used to pick up day laborers along Arizona Avenue in Chandler but stopped this year after the company's insurance carrier prohibited use of undocumented workers.

Police don't enforce federal laws, said Phoenix Police Commander Kim Humphrey, also a panelist. A controversial day-labor center near 28th Street and Bell Road has eased street-side gatherings in surrounding Phoenix neighborhoods but continues to draw public opposition and appears to be running out of funds, he said.

"Nothing you do is going to work unless you have the community buying into it as a good idea," Humphrey said.

Police can enforce traffic, trespassing and vandalism laws but have difficulty with laws against soliciting work from the street.

"How do you distinguish these people from kids operating a carwash or a lemonade stand?" he said. "Do you want this to be a country where you walk up to people and demand they prove they're a citizen?"

Shapiro said cities should use photo technology to take pictures of trucks stopping for workers and mail warnings to vehicle owners.

"But you'll always have liberal do-gooders who will say you can't do this," he said.

Newman, an attorney, said courts have declared municipal loitering laws aimed at keeping day laborers off the streets unconstitutional.

"Cities must recognize that they are constrained by the Constitution in how they respond to day laborers," he said.

A better way to deal with the issue, he said, is the operation of day-labor centers that are supported by communities, provide free services to workers and offer good employment opportunities.

A law signed by the Gov. Janet Napolitano this month prohibits cities and counties from funding labor centers that cater to undocumented immigrants. Shapiro said it is the only such law in the nation and likely will be ineffective because cities and day-labor-center operators don't inquire about laborers' immigration status and can circumvent the funding ban.

Panelists at Thursday's forum will include convenience-store representatives, laborers, small-business owners and other national experts. At least two hours of the three-hour session will be set aside for questions from city representatives and spectators, said Chandler liaison Leah Powell.


http://www.azcentral.com/community/ahwa ... r31Z6.html

A better way to deal with the issue, he said, is the operation of day-labor centers that are supported by communities, provide free services to workers and offer good employment opportunities.

No, a better way is to send them packing back to Mexico. Let Foxie find jobs for them.