Thursday, April 3, 2008
Day-labor numbers dropping in Orange


EDUCATION: Officer Rocha explains the new day labor rules to workers outside the 7-Eleven at the corner of North Glassell Street and West Katella Avenue in this Dec. 20, 2007 file photo.

JOSHUA SUDOCK, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

New ordinances cracking down on businesses allowing day workers to congregate add to declining numbers in Orange.
By EUGENE W. FIELDS and ROSALBA RUIZ
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Comments 17| Recommend 7

ORANGE – The number of day laborers in town has dropped 80 percent this year, in the wake of two municipal laws meant to stopping the laborers from congregating and soliciting work, city officials say.

The Police Department keeps statistics on sightings of apparent day laborers.

Further, City Attorney David DeBerry said he spotted approximately eight day laborers at Chapman and Hewes avenues on a recent day.

"That's a huge drop," DeBerry said. "There's usually 70."

City officials say no business has applied for a permit to allow day laborers to congregate on their property since a city law went into effect.

Councilman Jon Dumitru said the new law, enacted on March 13, adds to the ordinance enacted in January aimed at stopping day laborers from soliciting for work.

Under the latest law, city businesses that want to allow day laborers and those who want to employ them to congregate on their property must get a permit from the city.

"It's not just day laborers, it's also the people hiring them," Dumitru said. "We're going both directions on it."

The ordinance states that permits are not needed if four or fewer day laborers gather. The fine for violating the ordinance is $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second – and $1,000 and up to three months in jail for the third.

DeBerry said 30 citations were handed out from Jan. 17 to March 1. Police logs show that just three citations were handed out in March.

"The ordinance seems to be working. Every once in a while, you'll see more than one or two day laborers," Mayor Carolyn Cavecche said.

Thursday morning, at Moreno's Restaurant on Chapman Avenue, about six men gathered in front. Restaurant owner Javier Moreno said he had not received any official notice of the city ordinance.

"They eat and have coffee," Moreno said. "I haven't had any problems with them whatsoever."

DeBerry said police went to different businesses along Chapman to tell owners about the new ordinance.

"Typically, how the situation would be handled is that we would receive a complaint about a business that was allowing day laborers on the premises," DeBerry said. "Then we would go out and let them know the day laborers would have to leave, be reduced to four or less or the business would need to get a permit."

Jose Herrera, 35, returned to the U.S. from Mexico two months ago and had little success finding work by standing at Hewes and Chapman. Herrera said the ordinance is the reason would-be employers don't pull up looking for workers anymore.

"I've seen a lot of police cars, there are signs saying we can't stand here and look for work," Herrera said. "Police and sheriff officers stop by and tell us to leave or we'll get fined, so we leave. But we need to work, so we come back."

Stricter enforcement eligibility requirements at the Resource Center have resulted in a drop in patronage.

"They're required to present two forms of identification and be able to present a Federal I-9 form in order to be used," Dumitru said."

DeBerry said the combination of ordinances and enforcement might have driven out day labors from other cities.

"We had some evidence that day laborers were coming from other jurisdictions," DeBerry said. "Maybe they've stayed in their own areas."

Herrera said he's heard some laborers have moved out of state, to Oregon for example, because of the lack of work.

Contact the writer: 714-704-3704 or efields@ocregister.com
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/day- ... -ordinance