Portland’s city-supported day labor hiring site opened early today. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">
Supporters say the day labor site is intended to protect workers from employers who have denied wages, not given breaks or otherwise victimized their employees.
A 200 thousand dollar grant from the Portland City Council was used to start the project.
Mayor Tom Potter supports the project, and Mayor-elect Sam Adams attended the grand opening.
Site operators say they are planning to charge 10 dollars an hour for general labor jobs and more for skilled positions.
Prospective workers who come to the site are not required to show identification or proof of citizenship.
This has led to some harassment of the site management by anti-Immigrant groups who complain that it is a defacto hiring site for undocumented workers.
Some workers, too, are concerned about possible Immigration raids at the site.
KBOO's Jenka Soderberg asked Justin Shear, one of the site organizers, about this issue:
- KBOO