A Hard Day’s Work
Thursday, February 21st, 2008“Day labor isn’t fair to the laborers…They’re often ripped off, no taxes are paid. Just about everybody is harmed by day labor.”
The above quote comes from Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, Arizona. Kavanagh introduced a new bill that would make it illegal for day laborers looking for work to gather on public street corners. Kavanagh reasons that day laborers are a traffic hazard, and also hurt the economy by not paying taxes. And, oh yeah, a large number of immigrants find a way to survive through day labor.
He said, “There’s a lot of disruption of traffic and communities…The fact that a large proportion of day laborers are illegal immigrants does give it a secondary benefit of cutting down on illegal immigration.”
I don’t really buy that argument, the immigration part at least. It’s true that day laborers, or anyone else that works ‘under the table’ effects the economy by not paying taxes and not being documented as employed. Also, day laborers have been accused of taking away union jobs and jobs for private contractors because they are often times less expensive, and demand less. But, on the other hand, cracking down on those looking for work does not necessarily solve any immigration issues, it only complicates them more.
While some politicians and groups have moved to crack down on those looking for work, one Mayor did the opposite.
Last year, the Mayor of Portland, Oregon Tom Potter proposed that his city build a centralized place where day laborers can gather and find work. Potter reasoned that having a specific known spot for day laborers would keep them from loitering elsewhere, protect them from the weather, and also give them some resources against employers who refuse to pay after the job is completed.
Tom Potter said about his idea, “Maybe in Portland we can have a way where they can have recourse and get the pay that is due them.”
I like Potter’s idea, but I would add something to it. I think that if cities were to create a centralized day laborer spot, they should couple it with an adult education center that teaches reading, writing, English, and job skills. That centralized place should also be equipped with Naturalization classes or resources so that immigrants looking for work can get help and work towards living in the U.S. legally. Those who seek employment there should be protected from anti-day laborer laws, as well as deportation for the time that they are taking classes and working. They can also set something up where the agency works with registered employers looking for day labor and serves as a staffing center. The center could create guidelines for usage by both those looking for work, and those looking to be hired, and ensure that nobody is abusing the system.
