Thread: Minutemen confront illegal day laborers in Aurora, CO

http://i4.democracynow.org/2008/7/1/doz ... y_laborers

Dozens of Minutemen Confront Day-Laborers Gathered For Work in Aurora, CO




The city council of Aurora, Colorado is considering two ordinances that would regulate how day laborers seek out work. The city is proposing to restrict the locations of offices set up to help the day laborers, and limit how they gather to meet prospective employers. Last week, local tensions escalated when members of the anti-immigrant group the Minuteman Project held a day-long protest directly in front of a busy intersection where day-laborers often gather.



The city council of Aurora, Colorado is considering two ordinances that would regulate how day laborers seek out work. The city is proposing to restrict the locations of offices set up to help the day laborers, and limit how they gather to meet prospective employers. Supporters say the measure is needed in part to protect public safety. But day-laborer proponents say the measure will increase racial profiling and violate workers’ rights to free assembly.

Last week, local tensions escalated when members of the anti-immigrant group the Minuteman Project held a day-long protest directly in front of a busy intersection where day-laborers often gather.

Joining me here in Denver is Minsun Ji. She is the Executive Director of El Centro Humanitario, a local advocacy group for day-laborer rights.

Minsun Ji, Executive Director of El Centro Humanitario, a Denver-based group advocating the human rights of day laborers.




AMY GOODMAN: As we turn now from the environment, we turn to another national issue playing out locally here in Colorado, the issue of immigration. The city council of Aurora, Colorado, is considering two ordnances that would regulate how day laborers seek out work. The city is proposing to restrict the locations of offices set up to help the day laborers and limit how they gather to meet prospective employers. Supporters say the measure is needed in part to protect public safety, but day labor proponents say the measure will increase racial profiling and violate workers’ rights to free assembly. This past weekend, local tensions escalated when members of the anti-immigrant group, the Minuteman Project held a daylong protest directly in front of a busy intersection where day labors often gather. Joining me here in Denver is Minsun Ji. She is Executive Director of El Centro Humanitario, a local advocacy group for day laborer rights. Welcome to Democracy Now!


MINSUN JI: Thank you very much.


AMY GOODMAN: Explain what is happening.


MINSUN JI: Well, Centro Humanitario is a Denver state labor organization that defends the right of immigrant day laborers. We have been going out to the corner of Aurora on Colfax and Dayton, where workers congregate to seek employment, to what was going on for probably the past two years. And we’ve been going there to organize the workers to talk about why it is important for them to have the right to be there. We have been working with city officials to talk about the importance of creating a gathering place, that is also happening in the Denver area because Denver has a safe and dignified gathering place. So, it has been kind of an ongoing process that we have been trying to educate the public about why these people also have the right to be indoors for a gathering place, because right now they are outside. And bad employers will come and pick them up and they will never pay. So there is a lot of worker abuse going on. Unfortunately, despite all the efforts that was made to open a gathering place near the street corner, the city of Aurora does not want us to be locating their area.



AMY GOODMAN: Tell us what happened this weekend with the Minutemen, who they are, what they did.


MINSUN JI: Minutemen have been targeting day laborers from its beginnings. Right now Minutemen will come to the corners and harass the workers with signs. A lot of Minutemen will say because you are illegal therefore you have to go back to their country, you take our jobs. Last Friday we did have sort of a confrontation with the Minutemen. We did not know about their protest, but it was a very shocking for us to see about 20 Minutemen who showed up on the corner of Colfax and Dayton to protest against day laborers. And its very unfortunate, because the message that we would like to tell the community is that day laborers are peacefully assembling on the corners to seek employment so that they can support their families. However, Minutemen are not understanding that point, there are tensions between workers and Minutemen last week.


AMY GOODMAN: Explain where the day laborers come from and the kind of work that they are doing.


MINSUN JI: Most day laborers come from Mexico and Central America. They are here to seek employment because their economy in their country is so bad that they are forced to come to the United States to look for jobs. A lot of workers are working in construction, they do landscaping, painting, roofing, anything that individuals or small contractors or small companies that need help for. So about probably 22 out of 40 workers per day will go out to work on a daily basis.


AMY GOODMAN: And the kind of work they are doing?


MINSUN JI: They are working on constructions, like carpentry, painting, roofing and landscaping.


AMY GOODMAN: And is there a difference between, for example, how the city of Aurora deals with day laborers and the city here of Denver?


MINSUN JI: Well, we have a site, a gathering site in the Denver area, and the city officials in Aurora has been really challenging because when we opened the center here in Denver, we received huge support from the city officials. For example, in 2007 we received a proclamation from the city of Denver for serving low wage day laborers. But in Aurora, we are getting a very cold response, from the city of Aurora. Because, one of the examples is that there are already introducing a city ordinance to block employers from coming to the corners to get workers. They are going to illegalize that activity on the corner by increasing police. So that has been very hostile. I think it really creates tension. What we would like to do is open a gathering place where workers can get work and also feel safe. However that kind of has not been understood by city officials.


AMY GOODMAN: And are there any plans for changes on how day laborers are dealt coming up to the Democratic Convention, which is going to be happening here at the end of August?


MINSUN JI: We have been part of the planning to organize an immigrant rally, and definitely the city of Aurora is going to be one big issue, because it could be a very local issue, but it’s happening in so many cities, with regard to regulating immigration. For example, in 2005, probably 175 legislations were proposed in relation to immigration. As of 2007, 2008, over 1,500 immigration legislation are proposed by so many different local cities. So it looks like a local issue, yet, because of the fact that the federal government doesn’t create any reform at the federal level, a lot of cities are approaching it at the local level.


AMY GOODMAN: What’s the reform you would like to see?


MINSUN JI: We would definitely like to see comprehensive reform that would humanize immigrants and also give a pass for workers to be citizens and who can also live here with their families. But all those, more humanitarian reform, has not been introduced yet. So during the DNC, we would like to call for more humanitarian immigration reform.


AMY GOODMAN: Well, i want to thank you very much for being with us. Minsun Ji is Executive Director of the organization El Centro Humanitario, a Denver-based group advocating the human rights of day laborers. This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. We are broadcasting here from Denver, from the studios of Free Speech TV where I would like to thank everyone who has helped in these two days of broadcast.

Supporters say the measure is needed in part to protect public safety, but day labor proponents say the measure will increase racial profiling and violate workers’ rights to free assembly

The accusation of racial profiling is cried more often than 'wolf' and is becoming meaningless. Hispanics do work as day labors so the majority are hispanic and hispanic is not a race.

There are temporary employment agencies the employers could obtain their workers from but illegal aliens have no right to seek employment in the U.S.

I fail to see a difference between hookers soliciting John's on the streets and day workers soliciting contracters (John's) on the street.

Those hiring illegal aliens at day labor sites should be arrested for aiding and abetting illegal aliens, their vehicles forfeited, lose their business licenses, face IRS audits, and any illegal aliens arrested.

measure will increase racial profiling and violate workers’ rights to free assembly

Why is this? Are day laborers from only one race?

Centro Humanitario is a Denver state labor organization that defends the right of immigrant day laborers.

This must be one heck of an exclusive day labor site, since you have to be from one unmentioned race and they have to be immigrants.

Dixie

MINSUN JI: We would definitely like to see comprehensive reform that would humanize immigrants and also give a pass for workers to be citizens and who can also live here with their families.

It's almost funny watching the lengths these folks will go through to avoid the word AMNESTY!

the message that we would like to tell the community is that day laborers are peacefully assembling on the corners to seek employment so that they can support their families

Not wishing any ill will on anyone...just let one of the laborers get hit by a car, and watch how fast they'll try and sue the driver for hitting them....

In our state the Worker's Compensation Division is mulling over what regulations day laborer centers may come under. I have had some success in blowing the whistle on contractors who hire illegal labor: Somebody must pay for worker's compensation insurance!!!! Understand? Somebody is supposed to be paying that for any worker employed!!! Normally a contractor carries it for employees--but small, one man companies or homeowners may not have it. Therefore "employee leasing companies" (i.e temporary labor companies) are also obligated to have such policies.

So, in Oregon, they are looking into how this requirement affects these day labor centers. Why don't you check into the same process in your state?

To employ a worker with no insurance coverage is inviting trouble. If they are hurt on your property you could be sued. Or employers sometimes sign up a person for comp. coverage AFTER they are injured, but had no intentions of doing it beforehand. I've seen, at times, teams of investigators come onto projects looking for various violations. The Contractors board rep. here has been helpful and if I call early enough on a jobsite I suspect has violations they can get there the same day. I also avail myself of their database to do some preliminary investigation. A few weeks ago I dound a licensed contractor, who was not allowed, however, to have employees. He had several people on a little project, all looking like they had come out of the day labor center.

Originally Posted by AngryTX

Not wishing any ill will on anyone...just let one of the laborers get hit by a car, and watch how fast they'll try and sue the driver for hitting them....

How true, and there will always be some rabid, OBL lawyer who will represent them.

[quote
MINSUN JI: Most day laborers come from Mexico and Central America. They are here to seek employment because their economy in their country is so bad that they are forced to come to the United States to look for jobs. A lot of workers are working in construction, they do landscaping, painting, roofing, anything that individuals or small contractors or small companies that need help for. So about probably 22 out of 40 workers per day will go out to work on a daily basis.


Well what about the U.S.A's Poor economy ????? We need jobs and help here too, Why doesn't anyone ever bring up the facts they are here to support Mexico's economy not the U.S.A.'s ! STOP sending most of it back to Mexico or wherever they send it too and keep it here to help our economy... Boy some people are just plain STUPID !

But in Aurora, we are getting a very cold response, from the city of Aurora. Because, one of the examples is that there are already introducing a city ordinance to block employers from coming to the corners to get workers. They are going to illegalize that activity on the corner by increasing police. So that has been very hostile.

MINSUN JI thinks the city of Aurora is "hostile" because it doesnt want illegal aliens gathering on corners looking for work? PLEEEZE GIVE ME A BREAK! What is "hostile" about enforcing some laws?

http://www.centrohumanitario.org/


2260 california st
denver, co
303-282-4115

info@centrohumanitario.org

here is their website.
i think the little lady needs a lesson in our laws