Thread: Day laborer dispute boils over in Gaithersburg

http://www.thesentinel.com/287094210800023.php

Day laborer dispute boils over in Gaithersburg

By Contessa Crisostomo

Staff Writer



No arrests were made as Gaithersburg day laborers gathered and marched on City Hall Wednesday morning to call for city leaders to find a solution for the problem at the shopping center parking lot at 117 N. Frederick Ave.

Gaithersburg City Manager David Humpton announced on Monday that the men - mostly Hispanic - had 48 hours to vacate the parking lot, or police officers will arrest them beginning Wednesday morning.

Shortly after proclaiming Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 as "National Hispanic Heritage Month" in Gaithersburg during Monday's city council meeting, Humpton reported that the property owners of the parking lot, next to the Grace United Methodist Church, sent a letter to inform the city that they will close the parking lot as an informal day laborer site beginning Wednesday. The city has since put up signs along Walker Avenue and will soon put them up on Route 355 warning motorists not to stop or stand on the road, meaning employers will not be able to pick up any of the day laborers for work since they are no longer allowed to pull into the parking lot.

The Rev. Mark Derby, senior pastor of Grace Church, told the city and the day laborers that they are free to stand on their lawn to wait for work as long as they do not obstruct parishioners from entering the church and help clean up the area when they leave. In addition, now that they are not under the shopping center owners' rules, the men can stay on the lawn for the rest of the day, unlike the previous restriction, which had the police vacating the men from the parking lot by 9:30 a.m. every morning when the shops begin to open.

Gaithersburg city police informed the day laborers of the shopping center owners' decision through bilingual fliers distributed prior to the Wednesday deadline. The flier suggested that they go to worker's centers in Silver Spring and Wheaton or to Labor Ready in Rockville to find work instead.

On Wednesday morning, what would normally be close to 50 day laborers scattered across the parking lot, on the shopping center property and on the lawn of Grace Church, ended up being less than half who braved the city police and held signs that read "To Work is Not a Crime," "Gaithersburg, What About Character Counts?" and "Mayor Katz Now is the Time." Gustavo Torres from Casa de Maryland and religious leaders from the Camino de Vida congregation, Grace Church, St. Martin's Catholic Church, the Church of Ascension and other members of the community were present.

The Rev. David Rocha is the ad hoc spokesperson for the day laborers and the pastor of the Camino de Vida congregation, which is housed at the Asbury Methodist Church in Gaithersburg. Rocha worked to support the day laborers for the past two and a half years and recently joined forces with Derby, Father Brennan of St. Martin's Church, and the Rev. Bautista, the Latino minister of the Church of Ascension, to search for a solution for the jornaleros, which is the Spanish word for day laborers.

"Today we are standing here in the name of the jornaleros," said Rocha. "These are decent people and human beings whose only crime is to find a job."

Craig Hostetler, an 18-year Gaithersburg resident and member of St. Martin's congregation, said he was there to support the men, as he held a sign that said "Dignity For All" and walked down Route 355 during the march. He said he had been following the city council meetings for the past few months, and when one citizen compared the day laborers to Hezbollah, he said that's when he decided to get involved.

"One of the things I love about Gaithersburg is its diversity," said Hostetler. "It's a real city with people that care about each other. We need to get people off the streets. With a comprehensive day laborer center we can train people and help them and their families ... but it needs to be supported and organized. It can work if we do it right."

However, not everyone was there to support the men. Jimmy, who said he lives in the community, was present at the parking lot Wednesday morning waving an American flag and said he was there because he does not support the day laborers or the idea of a center for them.

"I am here as an American citizen," he said.

"I want the borders closed."

He would not answer whether he had a problem with the day laborers that congregate at the parking lot but said it depended on their legal status.

Another man agreed with him. He did not give his name but said that he had employed some of the day laborers before.

"I would pick up some of these guys on a daily basis and use them for a day or two, but their social security numbers did not match their names," he said, "They're illegal. They're taking money from the community, they're not paying taxes here."

He said he no longer hires day laborers.

After the members of the clergy said a prayer with the day laborers, the group marched down Route 355 and down to city hall to ask city officials to come out and speak with them. The clergymen and day laborer spokesman Isaias Hernandez were able to bring Humpton out to speak to the crowd in front of city hall.

Hernandez begged Humpton not to kick the men off the shopping center property at least until a center can be found. He said it is the only way for him and other men to make money and provide for their families.

"Please don't move us, please," Hernandez said through bouts of tears. "I have a family. I have no work now. We are good people, we just want to work."

Hernandez's family lives in Gaithersburg with him and said to cover monthly costs, he needs to make at least $2,000 a month.

Humpton responded that the decision to kick the men off the parking lot is up to the owners and not the city. He said the city is only respecting the wishes of the owners.

"I want you to know that the mayor and majority of the city council support the idea of a center," said Humpton.

Councilman Henry Marraffa has openly stated he is against establishing a day laborer center.

Humpton said a current location is still being investigated in a shopping center within close vicinity of the current informal gathering spot that meets the day laborer task force criteria, but they cannot get a definite answer from the owners of that shopping center. He said he does not know how soon they may know whether it can be used.

He called for religious communities, non-profit organizations and other groups to come forward with suggestions for other solutions.

Father Brennan of St. Martin's then suggested a field near St. Martin's Church for trailers to be placed as a temporary location for the jornaleros until a permanent site can be established. Humpton said he would have to discuss it further, so the religious leaders and Humpton went into city hall to meet.

"The answer I heard today is the same answer I heard two and a half years ago," said Rocha. "As a representative of the jornaleros, I ask for a solution today, not tomorrow, because tomorrow is too late."

Photo by Ken Levy

To work in a country that you are occupying illegally IS illegal.

Bottom line here is the property owner has the right to do whatever he wants with his property and if he does not want a bunch of day laborers (whether they are illegal or not) tresspassing on his land then he has the right to boot them off.

Hernandez's family lives in Gaithersburg with him and said to cover monthly costs, he needs to make at least $2,000 a month.

That is $24,000 a year. Geez, there are a lot of American citizes living in poverty that are forced to survive on less. Guess you should have left your family in Mexico Hernandez, then you could have bunked up with 10-20 other illegal immigrants in a 2 or 3 bedroom mobile home and sent your money home. Everyone knows the living expenses in Mexico are a lot less.

Originally Posted by MW

Hernandez's family lives in Gaithersburg with him and said to cover monthly costs, he needs to make at least $2,000 a month.

That is $24,000 a year. Geez, there are a lot of American citizes living in poverty that are forced to survive on less. Guess you should have left your family in Mexico Hernandez, then you could have bunked up with 10-20 other illegal immigrants in a 2 or 3 bedroom mobile home and sent your money home. Everyone knows the living expenses in Mexico are a lot less.

Yeah, and it's $24,000 a year tax free. Now imagine 5, 6 or more illegals living in one house working and earning a paycheck "tax free".

That's how they afford those brand new pick up trucks, fill their grocery carts with cans of Maryland King Crab Meat, and eat out every night at fast food resturants. Because they all pile up in a house and they all work "tax free"