"Connecting Community and Academic Activism Workshop Series"
Day labor: ""Day labor" means labor or employment that is occasional or irregular at which a person is employed for not longer than the time period required to complete the assignment for which the person was hired and where wage payments are made directly or indirectly by the day labor service agency or the third party employer for work undertaken by day laborers pursuant to a contract between the day labor service agency with the third party employer" (From the Illinois Day Labor Act). From the article, "Labor Market Leverage: Sectoral Employment Field Report": "For years, Primavera has seen day-labor firms exploit residents of homeless shelters by not paying them what was promised and threatening them when they complained. This year Primavera will launch its own day-labor company that will compete directly with these firms while treating and rewarding its workers better. Primavera plans, much like CHCA, to demonstrate to those it contracts with that when one pays and treats workers properly, they perform better."
Day labor concerns are a significant issue in the Tucson community. Day labor exploitation has implications for a network of issues in the community, from homelessness to workers rights to neighborhood issues, border issues and globalization.... This issue requires a great deal of collaboration, research, and problem-solving approaches to ensure equitable conditions for all workers and members of the community.
Campaign on Contingent Work: CCW conducts direct action organizing,
public education, research, media advocacy, and policy development all
geared toward achieving fair pay, benefits, and working conditions for
these non-standard workers. CCW also operates a thriving workers center,
through which it conducts outreach to contingent workers, and provides
technical, research, and legal assistance to groups and individuals.
Contact: Tim Costello, Director
33 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02111
Telephone: (617) 338-9966 Fax: (617) 426-7684
E-mail: ccw@igc.org
Illinois Compiled Statutes, Employment: Day Labor Services Act
"Down A Dangerous Path: The Erosion of Health Insurance Coverage in the United States." Steven Findlay, M.P.H. Joel Miller, M.S.Ed. National Coalition on Health Care. May 1999. Discusses issues in day labor health care coverage.
"Without Liberty and Justice for All: An investigative report into some of Chicagoís day labor agencies." Jonathan Arnold & Pablo Gutierrez. Columbia Chronicle, Columbia College Chicago. May 30, 2000.
Vermont Living Wage Campaign: "More Living Wage Facts about the US."
Michael Gordon's Labor Links