Thread: NY $1.2M grant brings day laborers indoors for job training

$1.2M grant brings day laborers indoors for job training

BY Clare Trapasso

Tuesday, December 22nd 2009, 9:30 AM
Related News

They wait on the city's streetcorners, often shivering in the cold, hoping someone will drive by and offer them a job. Soon, they will be able to come indoors.

Beginning next month, day laborers will be eligible for job training and social service programs in three Queens neighborhoods under a new $1.2 million initiative paid for with federal stimulus dollars.

But advocates say they won't be satisfied with anything less than full-fledged immigration centers.

"The city is doing a great job trying to create these kinds of services for our community," said Ligia Guallpa of the Latin American Workers Project, a Jackson Heights-based nonprofit. But, she added, "the city needs to consider creating real, sustainable job centers."

The new services will be available for low-wage immigrants in Jackson Heights, Woodside and Flushing starting on Jan. 4. The city Department of Youth and Community Development also will launch two similar programs in Brooklyn and one on Staten Island.

But Guallpa said she would rather see the city invest in permanent job centers that can educate and train workers and advocate on behalf of them. She is worried about what will happen to the initiative when the stimulus money runs out in September.

Day laborers routinely contend with intimidation from local residents, merchants and police, she said. And with the poor economy, there's less work for the immigrants, who often get stiffed on their pay, she added. Her group runs a day-laborer center in Brooklyn that organizes workers and provides job and English-language training.

"We need job centers that...understand the real issues that day laborers are facing in New York City," said Guallpa, whose group applied to run one of the Brooklyn programs.

Each group participating in the initiative will be required to work with about 80 immigrants, said Youth and Community Development spokesman Ryan Dodge.

Edwin Meléndez, a member of the city's Temporary Commission on Day Laborer Job Centers, believes job centers can be good for the community too. "You mitigate the conflict between workers and merchants and neighbors who may object to [the day laborers] standing on corners," he said.

Councilman-elect Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) said he plans to advocate for permanent centers during his term.

"We need to address the problems that day laborers face holistically, rather than piecemeal," Dromm said.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/que ... z0aR5XDmuI

What a waste of tax-payer money, when American citizens and legal immigrants are in dire need. And I suppose that no one will question whether they are legally in this country to get this training.

Added to homepage
http://www.alipac.us/article4799.html

I can not even express how angry this makes me. All I can think about is all the Americans out of work and their money being given to foreign invaders.

American day laborers don't need special centers because they use the unemployment office. Legal Workers don't need day labor centers!!!!

This program is for illegal immigrants. Here's the stimulus money going strait to illegal aliens.

Dixie

WTH?

I cannot fathom how this wasting MY tax money benefits a fellow American or a legitimate immigrant. 2010 is going to be WONDERFUL!

They wait on the city's streetcorners, often shivering in the cold

Sob story alert.

Beginning next month, day laborers will be eligible for job training and social service programs in three Queens neighborhoods under a new $1.2 million initiative paid for with federal stimulus dollars.

More fleecing of US tax payer dollars! What is it that these people do not understand. Illegla's are not suppsoed to be in this country much less working! What are you going to train them for, to steal US citizens jobs!

More aiding and abetting illegal invaders with US tax dollars. What a disgrace!

This is a SLAP in the face of every American citizen in this country. Millions of American citizens are out of work and can't find jobs because people whe are in the country Illegally are the ones being hired. and now the Federal government sees fit to do something like this. that stimulus money wasn't meant to be used for those who are here Illegally. what in the He** is this country coming to?

This is so typical of NYC and NY.


I often feel as if I'm being told "You already live the American Dream, now move on." The middle class in NYC is being displaced and our politicians don't give a damn.

I'm SOMSICK and TIRED of our government putting people who are here ILLEGALLY before American Citizens and Legal Immigrants. this is not right and they D**n well know it. WHAT ABOUT THE OUT OF WORK AMERICANS? WHAT ABOUT THE ONES WHO RECEIVE SOCIAL SECURITY THAT WON'T BE RECEIVING A COLA? we don't matter to the ones we elect and send to Washington because they are all too busy kissing the A**** of ILLEGAL ALIENS. these people are being treated better than we are.