Distinguished Partners

POMONA DAY LABOR CENTER
P.O. Box 2469
Pomona, CA 91796
Tel: (909) 397-4215
 
Faculty Liaison
Jose Calderon, Associate Professor of Sociology and Chicano Studies
Community Fellow
To be appointed
 
The Pomona Day Labor Center provides a safe, legal site for day laborers to gather and act collectively to ensure safe, fair working conditions for its members. Professor Calderon, faculty liaison, is a founding member of the organization and currently serves as secretary of the Center's Board of Directors.
 
An ambitious set of goals has been established for this core partnership. CCCSI and Center staff work together to:

1. Educate the day laborers still on the streets about the Center's services and benefits Train new volunteers to teach English as a Second Language classesDevelop a health care needs and a network for accessing health care services Mediate conflicts and take action to prevent disputes between employers and employees such as wage claims
2. Create a community environment of shared leadership so that workers feel a sense of ownership in their Center

The Pomona Day Labor Center recently relocated to a trailer in front of the Contractor's Warehouse on Mission Blvd. Under the guidance of Director Suzanne Foster, Lead Coordinator Juan Medina, Organizer Eduardo Nuno and office Manager Juan Medina, Jr. and new Assistant Director Rosie Poitra-Chalmers, day laborers continue to work together to improve their Center.

Day Laborers are available to perform a variety of tasks from raking leaves and building fences, to laying tile or painting houses. Workers are skilled and responsible. Staff is on hand to translate if necessary and to assist in salary negotiation and work arrangements. The Pomona Day Labor Center encourages you to support members of the Center and discourage those who loiter on the corner. For more information, contact CCCSI or the Day Labor Center itself from Monday through Sunday 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. at (909)397-4215.

Pitzer College has dozens of students and several professors who do work at the Day Labor Center. Professor Jose Calderon in particular is very active in the Center. Pitzer student Elizabeth Friedman made a $1,000 donation to the Center’s emergency fund in the November of 2004. The emergency fund was established to provide support for a laborer who may be unable to send funds to his family due to an injury or illness. More recently, Pitzer students organized a fundraiser in November 2006 to add over $1,000 to the fund. And Pitzer students have always helped organize car washes to raise more funds when needed. The establishment of the fund was the laborer's idea and they are in charge of distributing the funds to workers who apply.