Home Depot as a labor site
Okay I am wondering if I haven't been observant, but this weekend I and my hosts went out to the Home Despot on Rhode Island Ave and nearly got mobbed by Latino laborers. When did this HD become a labor site?I could have sworn that I've been to that HD before, in the morning, mid-day but mostly after work, when it first opened and years after and I don't remember seeing a small crowd of laborer before. Did another labor site close somewhere and the demand switched over to the HD that never seems to have the small specific part you want? Well, it is a metro-accessible site, I guess that's a plus in its favor. But really, anyone know?
posted by Mari @ 21.5.07
7 Comments:
its been the main site for day laborers for at least a year or 2 but the guys there never mob people. they stay off to the side of the lot, dont block the entrance at all.
but, you also have a bunch of enterprenerial guys who sometimes aggressively try to load your purchases. they arent looking to be picked up. Sometimes they panhandle
They are always there, some days more than others. There is a movement underfoot for a combined public/private partnership jobs center there. It will not be just for day laborers but all folks looking for work. Tommy Thomas is spearheading the idea apparently.
My description of mobbed.... We pull into the side parking lot where they all were (I wasn't driving, if I were I would have parked near all the other cars), which gave them the idea that we were looking for labor (no, host #1 just likes parking there), so 5-10 guys start making a move towards the vehicle when I start screaming "No trabajo!" "No trabajo".
after duron moved to columbia heights 2 years ago from 15th and P NW some of the laborers moved across the street to the other paint store and some filtered to rhode island.
This was on Stop, Blog and Roll regarding laborers at that Home Depot.
This article talks about the struggles the day laborers face (sporadic work, working and not getting paid by shady contractors, etc). It also highlights how some workers have been trying to organize to improve the ways that workers solicit work, and the ways the contractors hire workers. This could decrease the chaos and decrease the chances that workers will be exploited by contractors.
-Amy
http://www.streetnewsservice.org/index.php?page=archive_detail&articleID=1190
I'll confirm that it's been there well over a year.
~bcc
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