Thread: Home Depot Site Of Day Laborer Skirmish

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http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/9780366/detail.html

Home Depot Site Of Day Laborer Skirmish
Guard Takes 'Zero Tolerance' View Toward Trespassing

POSTED: 5:46 pm PDT September 1, 2006
UPDATED: 6:50 pm PDT September 1, 2006

SAN DIEGO -- A confrontation between day laborers and store security brought police to a Grantville Home Depot on Friday.

Some workers had gone into the store's parking lot to talk with prospective customers but a new security officer took a hard line regarding the lot's "no trespassing'' sign and called police.

The incident ended with no violence but there are still some hard feelings among the day laborers that regularly gather near the store looking for work.

Day laborers like Pedro Rivera said they have always had good relations with the Home Depot location, despite finding themselves targeted by Minutemen activists -- until the new guard started this week.

"She said, 'I'm going to call the cops,' and she did call the cops. And she's over there making a big deal out of it. And that's wrong. She's been here, like, two to three days and just wants to keep her job, and she don't really know what's goin' on," Rivera said.

The incident started when some of the laborers drifted into Home Depot's landscaping and parking lot to talk with prospective employers. That's when the security guard zoomed into action with a "zero tolerance" policy.

"She said we gonna kill the grass, and there's no grass -- as you can see over there. There is no grass. And for that reason she calls the cops on us. For what? We just come here to get a job to support," Rivera said.

The skirmish became a police issue and no trespassing boundaries were once again established.

However, one worker, Robert Cordova, suspects the Minutemen have been pressuring the store to intimidate them.

"The Home Depot people, they're nice to us. We obey them. These other people, the Minutemen, they have the Ku Klux Klan spirit. They don't like us. Not everybody here is an illegal alien. I'm an American citizen," Cordova said.

A Home Depot spokeswoman said the company backs the security officer's strict enforcement of its policy against soliciting on the property.

She also acknowledged Home Depot has been pressured by the Minutemen but insists the action taken on Friday was not in reaction to that pressure, just something that the guard's predecessors should have been doing along.

Still, Cordova said he believes the workers are being demonized by the company's actions.

"We're looking for a job. We're not crooks. We don't want to do nothing outlaw. We come here early in the morning; we work. We support our families and we pay our dues. We pay our taxes and stuff," Cordova said.

After Police were called in to sort out the turf issues, the day laborers retreated to a nearby parking lot that serves other businesses that haven't objected to their gathering there.

Skirmish? Where was the skirmish? Calling the police creates a skirmish?

W

Some workers had gone into the store's parking
lot to talk with prospective customers but a new
security officer took a hard line regarding the lot's
"no trespassing'' sign and called police. The incident
ended with no violence but there are still some hard
feelings among the day laborers that regularly gather
near the store looking for work.


Day laborers like Pedro Rivera said they have always
had good relations with the Home Depot location, despite
finding themselves targeted by Minutemen activists -- until
the new guard started this week.


A confrontation between day laborers and store security
brought police to a Grantville Home Depot on Friday


"She said, 'I'm going to call the cops,' and she did call the
cops. And she's over there making a big deal out of it. And
that's wrong. She's been here, like, two to three days and
just wants to keep her job, and she don't really know what's
goin' on," Rivera said


The incident started when some of the laborers drifted
into Home Depot's landscaping and parking lot to talk
with prospective employers. That's when the security
guard zoomed into action with a "zero tolerance" policy.


"She said we gonna kill the grass, and there's no
grass -- as you can see over there. There is no grass.
And for that reason she calls the cops on us. For what?
We just come here to get a job to support," Rivera said.


The skirmish became a police issue and no trespassing
boundaries were once again established. However, one
worker, Robert Cordova, suspects the Minutemen have
been pressuring the store to intimidate them.


"The Home Depot people, they're nice to us. We obey them.
These other people, the Minutemen, they have the Ku Klux Klan
spirit. They don't like us. Not everybody here is an illegal alien.
I'm an American citizen," Cordova said.


A Home Depot spokeswoman said the company backs
the security officer's strict enforcement of its policy against
soliciting on the property. She also acknowledged Home Depot
has been pressured by the Minutemen but insists the action
taken on Friday was not in reaction to that pressure, just
something that the guard's predecessors should have been
doing along.


Still, Cordova said he believes the workers are being
demonized by the company's actions. "We're looking f
or a job. We're not crooks. We don't want to do nothing
outlaw. We come here early in the morning; we work.
We support our families and we pay our dues. We pay
our taxes and stuff," Cordova said.


After Police were called in to sort out the turf issues,
the day laborers retreated to a nearby parking lot that
serves other businesses that haven't objected to their
gathering there.

Sounds like that new security guard needs to be made Security Director for HD. Note the reporter did not interview her.

Minutemen = KKK Just because someone wants to see exisiting laws enforced doesn't make them a racist. I notice all the racist remarks come from the illegal immigration side.

Not everybody here is an illegal alien.
I'm an American citizen," Cordova said.

And you'd probably be an American citizen with a permanent job, Mr. Cordova, if not for over-abundant supply of illegal aliens.

"We're looking for a job. We're not crooks. We don't want to do nothing outlaw. We come here early in the morning; we work. We support our families and we pay our dues. We pay our taxes and stuff," Cordova said.

Give or take a few words, almost every illegal immigrant says the virtually the same thing.

Did you see the sign in the photographs? It clearly says, "no loitering - police enforced." Perhaps if more of the day laborers spoke and read English they would have obeyed the posted sign! Okay, so they wouldn't have - nice thought though.

Just another fine example of the lack of respect many of these folks have for the law and others property. Honestly, I think these illegals have been taking notes on the ongoing BP agents Campeon(sp?) and Ramos case. Notice how they eagerly used the technique of accusing the Home Depot security guard of being in the wrong to deflect the blame from themselves, when actually all she is guilty of is doing her job. Hey, at least she informed them of what she was going to do if they didn't depart the area - some of us would have called the police immediately (me included).

she don't really know what's
goin' on," Rivera said

I know handymen and contractors that used to shop at Depot. And I know what's going on. These guys grab tools out of trucks. Home Depot says"our cameras don't cover that area of the parking lot."

Originally Posted by Brian503a

but there are still some hard feelings among the day laborers that regularly gather near the store looking for work.
.

Oh boo hoo cry me a river. Hurt feelings? Who cares! A security guard doing his/her job... what a novel idea!

Originally Posted by Charlesoakisland

Sounds like that new security guard needs to be made Security Director for HD. Note the reporter did not interview her.

Or better yet DHS.