CED Committee
December 12, 2023
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Sofia Navarro
City Administrator Interim Director, Economic
and Workforce
Development Department
SUBJECT: Day Laborer Program $440K
Professional Services Agreement with
Causa Justa::Just Cause for FY 2023-
25 DATE: November 17, 2023
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution (1) Authorizing The City Administrator to Enter Into A Professional Serv ices Agreement With Causa Justa::Just Cause And Its Partners, Street Level Health And Centro Legal De La Raza, To Administer The Oakland Day Laborer Program For Fiscal Years 2023-2025 In An Amount Not To Exceed Two Hundred Twenty Thousand Dollars ($220,000) Per Year For A Total Amount Not To Exceed Four Hundred Forty Thousand Dollars ($440,000); And (2) Waiving The Formal Request For Proposals/Qualifications Process For The Professional Services Agreement.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Day Laborer Program, established in 2012, serves the vital purpose of redirecting workers who congregate near businesses in the Fruitvale and surrounding areas by providing employment related services that ultimately enhance t heir employability. The Economic and Workforce Development Department (EWDD) has been re sponsible for overseeing the Day Laborer Program on behalf of the City of Oakland (City). Historically, the allocation of funds for the program has involved a Request for Proposals (RFP) process, where local community-based organizations submit proposals.
Notably, in the 2013, 2015 and 2017 RFP cycles, Causa Justa::Just Cause (Causa Justa) emerged as either the sole applicant and/or has consistently received the highest scores for their applications. Considering their historical success and to ensure program continuity and sustained progress, staff recommends that the City Council waive the formal RFP/Qualification process and enter into a professional services agreement with Causa Justa. This action is consistent with action taken by City Council in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-21. Furthermore, this proactive approach will help prevent any delays in delivering cruc ial services to both local businesses and day laborers within the Fruitvale Avenue and Foothill Boulevard community.
Causa Justa's Fourth Quarter Performance Report, available as ( Attachment A ,) offers a comprehensive account of the activities, challenges, and project goals of the Day Laborer Jestin Johnson (Nov 30, 2023 21:22 PST)
Nov 30, 2023
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Day Laborer Program $440K Professional Services Agreement with Causa Justa::Just Cause for FY 2023-25
Date: November 17, 2023 Page 2
CED Committee
December 12, 2023
Program. It underscores the importance of building upon the progress achieved thus far, reaffirming the value of this program to the community.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
In 2010, businesses near the Fruitvale Avenue and Foothill Boulevard area expressed concerns about the public safety impacts of the congregation of large numbers of day laborers in the area.
In response to these concerns,
Resolution No. 83943 C.M.S. amended the City of Oakland's FY2011-13 Biennial Budget and appropriated $170,000. for a one-year contract that would redirect workers congregating near these businesses to employment-related services to support both business and workers.
The Oakland Day Laborer Program is specifically designed to:
Improve public safety through outreach to day laborers congregating in the Fruitvale Avenue and Foothill Boulevard area (Council District 5); Provide employment and employment-related services;
Provide access to legal support for immigration laws, labor rights and self-employment regulation;
Build self-awareness in the community at-large regarding the benefits of a structured day laborer program;
Empower day laborers participating in the program to move closer to self-sufficiency.
Causa Justa acts as the fiscal agent and partner s with Street Level Health, which provides ongoing outreach and employment advocacy to day laborers, along with Centro Legal de la Raza, which offers assistance on worker rights and legal consultations. Through this innovative partnership, Causa Justa has made substantial impact to both the business community and in the lives of Oakland day laborers. Nevertheless, there remains an ongoing need for further efforts to ensure the continuation of equitable working conditions, fair compensation, and the safeguarding of fundamental human rights amongst the day laborer community.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
Day labor work, by nature, places workers in potentially challenging and vulnerable circumstances with regards to negotiating work hours, payments, and workplace safety. Since 2013, Causa Justa has made substantial impact, however, much more work is needed to ensure equitable work conditions and pay for Oakland day laborers.
This recommendation is in the best interests of the City for the following reasons:
Past history of satisfactory performance, as documented in quarterly reports. Limited to no competition as several community organizations have aligned under one organization, Causa Justa as the fiscal agent.
Deep knowledge of the Day Laborer Program, the businesses, and the day laborer community.
Established delivery system and community of practice. Extensive relationships, partnerships, and resources. Responsiveness, experience, and expertise, of Day Laborer Program team and partners.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Day Laborer Program $440K Professional Services Agreement with Causa Justa::Just Cause for FY 2023-25
Date: November 17, 2023 Page 3
CED Committee
December 12, 2023
Causa Justa has received the Day Laborer Program funding in each of the past three RFP funding cycles conducted in FY 2012-14, FY 2014-16, and FY 2016-18. Causa Justa received the highest- ranking score for their application in 2012 and was the only applicant in 2015 and 2017. The City Council waived the RFP process for FY 2019-20, Resolution No. 88081 C.M.S. and FY 2021-22, Resolution No. 88904 C.M.S.
Oakland Municipal Code (OMC) Section 2.04.050 requires advertising and competitive bidding for contracts that exceed $50,000.00. Section 2.04.050.I.5 provides an exception to the advertising and competitive bidding requirements upon a finding and determination by the City Council that it is in the best interests of the City to waive the requirements.
By approving this proposed recommendation, Causa Justa can continue to provide programs that promote economic stability and equitable access to one of Oakland’s most vulnerable communities. This action and continuation of the Oakland’s Day Laborer Program support and advance the Citywide Priorities of holistic community safety and housing, economic and cultural security for the reasons discussed above.
Attachment A provides a detailed description and analysis of the challenges, activities, and project goals and progress of the Day Laborer Program for the FY 2022-23 grant period.
FISCAL IMPACT
Through Resolution No. 89804 C.M.S. the City Council approved the City’s Biennial FY 2023-25 Budget and appropriated $440,000 ($220,000 in FY 2023-24; $220,000 in FY 2024-25) for the Day Laborer Program in the City’s General Purpose Fund (1010), Workforce Development Organization (85311), Day Laborers Project (1000167). Staff recommends that City Council waive the formal RFP/qualification process and enter into a professional services agreement with Causa Justa in the amount of $440,000 for FY 2023-25.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
Neighborhood stakeholders have expressed that both the number and constant presence of day laborers congregating near Fruitvale Avenue and Foothill Boulevard have created a perception that public safety has been jeopardized and local businesses have been negatively impacted by this perception. The City has previously conducted outreach for the RFP through required procurement processes to identify agencies which provide a range of relevant services to this population and Causa Justa has been identified as the most capable of addressing the needs of both the businesses and the day laborers in the community for the past three (3) RFP cycles.
Moving forward, staff will consider issuing an RFP as future funding becomes available, based on community interest and need.
COORDINATION
The Day Laborer Program contract is supported by the Department of Workplace and Employment Standards. This report and resolution have also been reviewed by the Office of the City Attorney and by the Budget Bureau.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Day Laborer Program $440K Professional Services Agreement with Causa Justa::Just Cause for FY 2023-25
Date: November 17, 2023 Page 4
CED Committee
December 12, 2023
Economic: Short-term opportunities include fair pay and work hours, workplace safety, and consistent employment opportunities for day laborers; thereby providing access to employers who are integrated into the City’s Day Laborer Program. Consistent management and services for the day laborers in the Fruitvale Avenue and Foothill Boulevard also improves conditions in that Fruitvale commercial corridor which supports local businesses.
Environmental: There are no environmental impacts related to this program.
Race & Equity: The City’s Day Laborer Program is not limited to any specific population and primarily benefits the Spanish-speaking and immigrant populations who typically seek this type of employment in the Fruitvale Avenue and Foothill Boulevard community (Council District 5). This type of employment usually consists of a laborer that works by the day and for daily wages. This program also helps increase awareness of workers' rights and provides access to a range of social services provided by the contractor and its partners to improve working conditions for day laborers as well as access to legal services for those needing information and assistance with immigration.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
A Resolution (1) Authorizing The City Administrator to Enter Into A Professional Services Agreement With Causa Justa::Just Cause And Its Partners, Street Level Health And Centro Legal De La Raza, To Administer The Oakland Day Laborer Program For Fiscal Years 2023-2025 In An Amount Not To Exceed Two Hundred Twenty Thousand Dollars ($220,000) Per Year For A Total Amount Not To Exceed Four Hundred Forty Thousand Dollars ($440,000); And (2) Waiving The Formal Request For Proposals/Qualifications Process For The Professional Services Agreement.
For questions regarding this report, please contact Sofia Navarro, Interim Director of Economic & Workforce Development, at 510-238-3474.
Respectfully submitted,
SOFIA NAVARRO
Interim Director, Economic & Workforce
Development
Prepared by:
Honorata Lindsay, Administrative Services
Manager II
Economic & Workforce Development
Attachments (1):
Attachment A: Causa Justa Quarter 4 Report
SECTION 1 – PROJECT INFORMATION
Grantee: Causa Justa: Just Cause Grant Award Number:
Project Title: Day Labor Program
Grant Period: April 1, 2023 - June
30, 2023
Prepared by: Gabriela Galicia
Title: Executive Director,
Street Level Health Project
Phone: 510-533-9954 ext. 101
Email:
[email protected] Date Submitted: 7/14/2023 Reporting Quarters
Qtr 1
July -
September
Qtr 2
October - December
Qtr 3
January- March
XXX Qtr 4
April - June
SECTION 2 – PROJECT STATUS
A. Expenditure Status:
Award Amount $ 220,000
Amount Invoiced Year-to-Date (Sum of Quarterly
Invoices) $220,000
Percent of Award Invoiced to Date (Amount above ÷
Annual Award) 100%
In relation to the overall grant budget, are funds being expended as planned and on schedule?
☒ Yes ☐ No
B. Staffing – Indicate whether all positions included in the application have been filled (other than those previously addressed through a formal program modification). If positions remain unfilled, what is the plan and anticipated outcome for staffing of the program? Are surplus funds anticipated due to salary savings, and what is the plan for these funds?
Street Level Health Project is working to fill the current open positions. We have struggled to find and hire candidates to perform the roles in contract, and as such we have recently increased wages to support the hiring process . In Q4 we have filled the Day Laborer Employment Advocate position temporarily part time as a solution for the vacancy and to support current staff who have been taking on the role. We are still in the process of looking for someone permanent. We have revamped the job description and
ATTACHMENT A
reposted at the end of the quarter to attract more candidates. We continue to accept applications on a rolling basis.
C. Problem Identification/Resolution – Describe any problems the project has encountered during the reporting period. Consider what may be affecting project effectiveness or may have the potential of affecting program outcomes and stated goals. Examples of areas where problems of this nature may exist are program administration, service delivery, rate of referrals and participant enrollment. Indicate the steps taken to resolve any problems mentioned.
Issue : Changes in community population due to safety concerns, lack of jobs, and dearth of affordable housing
We keep seeing new immigrants in our neighborhood coming from the global South daily fleeing climate crisis conditions that have created mass migrations, unrest and intense violence. Every week at the day laborer stops we meet 2-3 folks who have just arrived. Therefore we have seen the population throughout the year fluctuating. This quarter we had a dip in population. We went from seeing 200 day laborers in a day to maybe 100 for several weeks as the warmer months started. Some it's due to getting jobs but some have reported hat community members are leaving the area to other cities and states. But towards the end of Jine we have seen another increase again in the day laborers at the day labor stops.
Many day laborers are leaving Oakland because there is simply not enough work for the true amount of workers that exist within Oakland yet for every day laborer that leaves several more arrive pretty much daily. So even with the concerns around safety as Oakland becomes like every other place in the world-more violent it is still not as overrun with violence as many folks' homelands.
The Bay Area is one of the areas with the highest rents. As a result we have a serious housing crisis and the lifting of the eviction moratorium in our city has exacerbated the housing insecurity and contributing to this community leaving. We see housing insecure day laborers constantly at the stops worried about paying rent and their precarious living situations and more reporting living in their cars as well.
Solution(s): We continue to go out to the day laborer stops to offer the support we can and us being present and providing any information on resources as needed. Also our outreach team is important in continuing to foster the relationship with the community to be heard and seen during this crisis and thereby being connected and seen as part of our community. When we feel part of something we are less likely to cause harm and that multiplies as we connect with others. Reminding folks of their rights to not be exploited by employers, landlords etc serves to empower this community.
Issue: Many employers are making it harder to give employment opportunities to workers by cancelling, haggling over prices and rampant wage theft.
Around this time of year historically we have seen an increase in jobs for workers yet that is not happening. We attribute this to various factors including the transition out of the pandemic, the looming economic crisis, and other factors. We have experienced employers refusing to pay wages that are more than reasonable, refusing to go beyond our hourly minimum set by the workers themselves. Many employers in the last few weeks have just flat out canceled jobs the day of saying they found someone else to do the work and/or just canceling on the worker when they arrive at the job site.
The cases of wage theft have just continued to increase with workers having multiple incidents of this exploitative practice. One worker recently shared that he had worked an entire month without pay and now the employer is dodging his calls completely. So as employers hire workers they also look for ways to take advantage of this population that is so vulnerable to exploitation on so many levels.
The economy being what it is, it's understandable there are less jobs available yet this competition to find the cheapest labor when there are jobs is making it extremely hard for the day laborer community to make inroads into stable livelihoods. When you don’t have stable employment and an opportunity arrives, then that opportunity vanishes it affects the workers morale. Many of us privileged enough to have steady employment do not fully understand what the majority of the world's workforce experiences.
There is a lack of valuing of labor overall that is clearly being shown with these cancellations, wage theft and trying to squeeze work out of human beings at the lowest price possible.
Solution: We are continually reminding the workers at the day laborer stops that their work, their labor is valuable. Repeated again and again especially when we are accompanied by Centro Legal’s workers rights attorneys. This partnership has been invaluable throughout the years in order to support day laborers through these issues.
Regardless of migration status they have inherent rights. As new day laborers arrive from other parts of the world they need to inform as part of welcoming them into the community. This is a community where word of mouth is valued and we have witnessed other workers informing/reminding other workers of their rights. Workers refer other workers to our organization as one that can be trusted. The more folks feel a part of a community the more fulfilled they will feel-even when your work situation is not so great.
D. Proposed Changes – Describe any changes that are being proposed to improve the program within the next reporting period. (Note that some changes may require a formal Budget/Program Modification to be approved by your Program Analyst) N/A
Activities – Describe any significant program activities anticipated in the next reporting period (i.e., award ceremonies, graduation ceremonies, media events).
Quarter 4 Events and Activities:
In person Day Labor Activities
We have continued to host our monthly worker’s collective meetings to continue to build community empowerment. Hosting these meetings monthly with various topics of discussion and useful knowledge that workers can use to build up their skills on the job.
April OWC Meeting
We continued to update the workers of the collective about the City of Oakland budget process. The main part of our meeting in April was around being better team members and ways we can improve our community.
May 2023 OWC Meeting
Focus groups were held where we discussed COVID-19, to learn more about what they thought about COVID after it was declared that we are no longer in a pandemic.
Questions we asked revolved around where they got their information from, any myths they might have heard about it, vaccinations and more. Workers went deep into the discussion and we were able to learn more about different communities and how they perceive COVID.
June 2023 OWC Meeting:
We had a great discussion about safety and the importance of community support. The role that the City of Oakland can play in supporting community safety. And that safety is a very personal feeling to begin with. Calls were made to city council members as well to urge them to include the Oakland Workers Collective into the Oakland city budget.
National Day Laborer Organizing Network
In May NDLON hosted a three day leadership school for day laborer centers across California in Sonoma County to continue to organize this community. This leadership school included conflict resolution with restorative justice grounding skills building, organizing 101 workshops, campaign coordination, and many more workshops grounded in a popular education model that is culturally relevant. It was an opportunity to build more unity and collaborations within the various day laborer organizations statewide.
Anticipated Activities in Quarter 1
NDLON -National Day Laborer Organizing Network will be beginning a statewide survey effort. This will commence in July and will be the model for a nationwide survey effort. NDLON staff and others will be going to day laborer stops across the state surveying workers on needs and support. The last time they did a nationwide survey was in 2004. It is long overdue and needed.
E. Project Goals and Progress – Identify the project goals and the progress associated with each goal.
1) Collect and share Oakland Day Labor demographic data.
Below you will see different graphs representing our work this quarter. Due to the atmospheric storms it highly has impacted our job connections. Many jobs were cancelled or had to be rescheduled to a later time. As many of the jobs we connect workers are outdoors it is unsafe to do these jobs during the storms. Jobs tend to slow down as we enter into colder months and the unusual rainy season this year but this year it had a higher negative impact on our program both for jobs and outreach to day laborers at the stops. A majority of the jobs have been moving and yard work. New members are also now being added to the Oakland Workers Collective.
2) Provide English language classes directly and/or in partnership with other organizations
In Quarter 3 SLHP experienced difficulties in connecting with OUSD staff to schedule for them to come to outreach due to the staffing and rain. We continued to reach out and check in periodically to see if the staff can go with our team and based on last contact they will be sending staff out in Quarter 4.
In the meantime our team stays up to date on referrals to other agencies in case there may be people that may be interested in ESL classes. The Alameda Adult ESL class reached out to us to do a presentation to their class about their services. 3) Identify and/or develop employment related training programs for Day Laborers in partnership with local institutions
Due to the continued COVID-19 pandemic and reduction of employment related training programs we have been able to provide and refer day laborers to employment related training programs. However, we continue to provide as much workers rights and immigrant rights education for workers to be aware of their rights and changing policies that may affect their employment. Our street outreach program has become key to continue to provide these workshops at the street corners once a week and stay connected with this community with new resources. In Quarter two we provided referral and information to Lao Family Community Development Inc and The Unity Council job placement programs.
4) Facilitate legal services related to wage theft, housing, legalization, and work authorization
Day Labor Program - Centro Legal Legal Services Report Quarter 4: April - June 2023
Summary of Legal Services Provided
In the months of April through June 2023, Centro Legal continued to serve day laborers in a modified format due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We continued to provide legal consultations telephonically, and communicated with workers through calls, text messages, and e-mail. Centro Legal provided legal services to 7 day laborers in Q4, including 7 in-depth workers’ rights legal consultations. The consultations involved a variety of topics, primarily issues of wage theft, independent contractor questions, and other wage-and-hour violations at their workplaces.
We provided 14 extensive legal services for 4 clients, including filing 3 new wage claims, 1 retaliation complaint, and sending 3 demand letters on behalf of workers. We also provided ongoing legal representation to 3 workers in a group case, including representation at 1 DLSE hearing, resulting in an order awarding $29,944.07 to plaintiffs for wage claims, interest, and penalties. Centro Legal opened 1 new case for legal representation during the quarter.
Day Labor Workers’ Know-Your-Rights Presentations
Our in-person outreach to day laborers, in partnership with Street Level Health Project (SLHP)
has been limited in some ways due to the pandemic. However, in Q4, Centro Legal and SLHP conducted joint, in-person day labor outreach in April and June through 3 interactive know-your-rights presentations that reached 330 workers.
This outreach was a COVID-19 safe activity organized in collaboration with SLHP.
Our team visited several day laborer gathering points across Oakland. Centro Legal attorneys engaged in short, interactive know-your-rights presentations at each gathering point. We fielded questions on an individual basis, referring workers to our workers’ rights legal clinic when relevant. SLHP coordinated the outreach and engagement of workers, which included providing breakfast, hot coffee, and informational flyers. We distributed know-your-rights brochures in Spanish and English. We also distributed information regarding the rights and responsibilities of independent contractors as well as information for day laborers on preventing wage theft.
All attendees received educational materials such as one-pagers that outline the process for filing wage claims, retaliation complaints, and discrimination claims, as well as TikTok videos that concisely describe various labor laws that are commonly violated.
These materials are accessible in pdf, jpeg, and video formats and can be easily distributed among workers, including those with limited access to technology.
Centro Legal continues to strengthen a long-lasting partnership with SLHP. Centro Legal receives a steady stream of referrals from SLHP. As partners, we engage in regular and mutual knowledge and resource-sharing, and collaborate on local advocacy efforts.
Day Labor Workers’ Rights Clinics
Centro Legal conducted 9 workers’ rights clinics during Q4. These were held on April 13, April 18, April 27, May 10, May 17, June 1, June 16, June 21, and June 29. We served day laborers at every clinic, and reserved slots for day laborers who came through direct referrals from our partnership with SLHP. These clinics were conducted on a hybrid model, including remote, telephonic consultations and in-person meetings.
Our legal team provided in-depth, individualized legal advice and assistance to workers with a range of grievances, including wage theft, workplace injuries, unlawful terminations, among other issues. We assisted workers in filing wage, discrimination, and retaliation claims. Furthermore, Centro Legal helped workers settle their cases with employers, and represented workers at administrative hearings. 5) Facilitate engagement of workers in advocating for policies that would increase their employment opportunities such as immigration-related bills.
DWES Director Engagement
We continue to engage with Director Aspilla and her staff through the coalition Fair Labor Oakland (FLO) which we have been a part of since its inception. We hosted another site visit in May and our alliance with the office has increased tremendously. In the future we hope to work with her office specifically on how to support day laborers experiencing wage theft issues.
City of Oakland Budget Advocacy
We advocated for a budget that did not remove valuable services and programs including the funding for this program (day laborer program) and the minimum outreach and education contract that we are a part of. We are grateful for the continued support and partnership with the city and OWDB. We hope to see how we can get these funds increased as the number of day laborers and the needs continue to increase.
DALE Campaign (Worker Enforcement)
DALE process can be passed in California. One worker from the Oakland Workers Collective also spoke in front of city hall, to denounce the racist comments that were made by the Los Angeles City council members in a leaked video that had be en leaked a week before the DALE action.
6. Conduct outreach in all informal day labor hiring sites Outreach was conducted at the following corners:
East 12th Street – Between 12th & Fruitvale Avenue
Gas Station – At the intersection of Coliseum Way & High Street Home Depot – Alameda Avenue
High Street & International Boulevard
Walgreens – Foothill Boulevard & Coolidge Avenue
San Leandro Ave – San Leandro & High Street
We continue making first contact with day laborers at the 6 hiring stops listed below.
Our outreach model continues to include the deployment of our outreach team which consists of: our Mam Interpreter, COVID outreach team, day laborer organizer and immigrant rights organizer provide Day Laborers COVID-19 health education, “Know Your Rights” training on topics such as immigration. During this quarter our team has also been able to distribute hot meals, masks and hand sanitizer as we have access to, in particular our team was able to get donations of KN95 and anything else that protects workers while waiting for work from COVID-19. We were able to distribute masks and information this quarter with the support of our COVID outreach team for an additional day to provide information on COVID, vaccine education and enrollment support. We reached day laborers over 13 outreach sessions and distributed 1,340 breakfast meals.
SECTION 3 – TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
To assist the project in appropriate implementation of the grant award, technical assistance can be provided at any time during the grant year.
Technical assistance requested: ☐ Yes ☒ No
Please indicate why/what type of technical assistance is needed:N/A SECTION 4 – PROJECT MEASURES
Provide statistical information only as it pertains to your particular project. If a question does not apply, please indicate by entering “N/A”. A participant should be counted in only one focus area unless the participants receive distinct, separate services in multiple areas. Attach additional pages to further clarify reported data, if needed.
4/1-6/30/23
Cumulative 7/1 - 6/30/2022
1. Number of participants (unduplicated - new
members only). 6 21
2. Number of new employers. 18 75
3. Number of referrals. 47 181
4. Number of placements. 67 270
Training Services
5. Number of participants receiving V ocational
or ESL Training. 170 228
6. Number of participants receiving
Occupational Health Training Services. 367 916
7. Number of participants receiving
Immigration and Workers’ Rights Training.
810 3946
Support Services
8. Number of participants receiving services. See Below See Below
9. Food (# of breakfasts distributed during
outreach) 1340 5993
10. Health 64 382
11. Legal Services 7 61
Referral Services
12. Housing. 3 61
13. Other_Health 257 1333
14. Other_Govt. Services (City ID, form
translation) 237 655
15. Other_Legal 46 187
16. Other_English 0 11
17. Other_Employment 4 33
SECTION 5 – FINAL REPORT
Complete this section for the final reporting period only , in addition to all other sections of the Progress Report.
A. Discuss overall program effectiveness. Specifically, how have the problems identified in the application been addressed? What progress has been made in the program’s ability to provide employment and supportive services to participants in the Day Laborer Program?
During this period our day labor program continues to be a lifeline to this community as we continue to go through the COVID-19 pandemic and move into the recovery phase.
This program became even more important and crucial to provide outreach and education to day laborers on health, immigration, and workers rights information as well as wrap around services. This community continued to be highly impacted by the pandemic.
The big themes that we continued to identify this year were the following: wage theft, housing issues/housing insecurity, food insecurity, safety concerns, lack of immigration status, employers who want to exploit workers, depression/mental health and substance abuse. These are all problems that have become more exacerbated by the current climate/economic crisis. As a result we have seen an increase of day laborers accessing resources and information in regards to these topics.
We have addressed wage theft through our outreach efforts and working closely with Centro Legal de la Raza employment rights attorneys. This is not a complete solution because for every 20 workers we inform there are 40 more that need to be informed as well. Centro has wage theft clinics that are very well attended and workers feel seen.
Housing issues are addressed by letting folks know about their rights and referring them out to other supportive housing rights organizations. Safety concerns inside and outside of work are addressed through listening to workers when they share what is going on for them. We remind them that safety is very personal and it begins with us. We are mindful that being a target just for looking for work and carrying cash is a terrible burden for them. The more we can create spaces so that they feel a part of the community the more we believe they will feel safer. The immigration status we can only do so much-beyond sharing immigration attorney resources and supporting them throughout the process we cannot do much more.
Furthermore our advocacy has continued to be key during this time to continue to work in partnership with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network on local, regional and national campaigns on pushing for support around immigrant and workers rights.
B. Describe collaboration efforts with other agencies throughout the grant period Our continued partnership between Centro Legal de la Raza and Oakland Workers Collective (day laborer program) continues to prove effective in supporting worker advocacy efforts to provide information on worker rights. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges we saw more than ever the need for this support for also our staff to be able to have support in answering questions workers had about their rights during this time. The legal support that day laborers are provided through this collaboration has allowed workers to recover wages and pursue claims against bad employers. Our collaboration with Centro Legal de la Raza continues to connect day laborers to critical legal services.
We continued to work closely during this year with the Alameda Public Health Department, City and County to keep day laborers abreast of the everchanging information and landscape.
This allowed us to have an avenue to speak about the day laborer community needs and for other groups including city, county, and state officials to learn more about the day laborers in Oakland, the barriers and challenges they face in their daily lives and accessing services.
We continues to see the increase of food insecurity during this time, and our continued partnership with grassroots organizations like Trybe, Homies Empowerment, East Oakland Collective has been important to continue to provide food services to the day laborer and immigrant communities in Fruitvale and East Oakland. Lastly, we continue being an active member of Resilient Fruitvale, a coalition of 17+ organizations led by The Unity Council, which has led to better coordination of services, information sharing, warm hand off referrals, and overall more communication amongst smaller and larger organizations to better serve the Latino and Indigenous communities including day laborers.
As a safety-net agency, Street Level Health depends on many partners to implement our integrated service model. Our collaborations grow each year and we are proud to be part of such an amazing service community. Some of those partners this grant period included but not limited to:
● Immigration/Legal Services - Centro Legal de La Raza and Catholic Charities ● Occupational Health - UC Berkeley Labor & Occupational Health Program; California Department of Public Health, Worksafe
● Advocacy - Worksafe, Centro Legal, California Immigrant Policy Center, National Day Laborer Organizing Network, other day laborer centers
● Newcomer Youth Engagement - OUSD Newcomer Program joint outreach efforts to enroll in ESL classes and re-enroll those that qualify to go back to school or continuation/adult school
● Health & Social Services - Alameda County Health Services Agency, Healthcare for the Homeless, Alameda Food Bank, and Highland Hospital, La Clínica de la Raza, Native American Health Center Alameda County Public Health Department, La Familia ○ Food Access collaboration: Trybe, Homies Empowerment, East Oakland Collective.
● Employment/Entrepreneur Programs/ITIN services - The Unity Council C. Describe efforts the project has made toward program sustainability beyond the grant period.
Street Level Health’s strength is anchored in our ability to leverage an integrative health model to access cross-sector funding. We have continued partnership with longtime funders like The California Endowment, and the Hellman Foundation. During this period we continued working and were grateful to our partnership with National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) for their tremendous efforts to help day labor centers nationwide but in particular in CA to obtain foundation support then passing those funds to organizations like ourselves, Leaders Trust Fund, and others. This has helped us continue the wrap-around efforts in response to COVID-19 that day laborers continue to need, as well as workers rights education. Foundation and many individual donors for our programming and for our day laborer rapid response fund. We have also continued ongoing contracts that were renewed for the next three years with Alameda County Health Services Agency for the health access program. Through our response to continue to educate workers around our COVID-19 and provide access to vaccines we have continued our efforts with the Alameda County Public Health through the coalition of grassroots organizations like Trybe, Homies Empowerment, and East Oakland Collective as well enlisting La Familia and The Unity Council to join our efforts towards the vaccine outreach and recovery efforts for the next two years. We also continue conversations around our advocacy efforts for workers rights and immigrant rights with support from Y and H Soda Foundation.
D. Describe recommended program modifications/improvements should the program be replicated or continued.
COVID-19 continues to impact Alameda County and the Oakland day laborer community because there are less jobs overall, which means less work and workers not having enough money to pay rent.. We continue to prioritize mental health services as this continues to be a challenge for day laborers to have more stable employment. We again hope to work with the county to further our advocacy to fund programs that have wrap-around services like our organization.
We also continue to see the limitations of our physical space due to services. We currently continue to provide most of our services through our hotline because the numbers of vaccinated in our zip code are still low and we cannot open safely until numbers go up, since our physical space is small and lacking adequate requirements to reopen like ventilation needs and physical distancing of community members. We have resumed limited in-person services and in the next fiscal year will be further opening our doors for more wrap around services like our health screening clinic.
Also our workers rights advocate has supported in providing 1-1 education and support on wage theft cases. Our program will continue to operate in a modified way until we are able to figure out a reopening plan that is safe both for staff and community members. We have been able to adapt our day labor program meetings to host once a month in person and graciously other organizations have opened up their doors to let us use their parking lot or large indoor settings.
We continue to implement that all workers that participate are fully vaccinated and up to date with vaccinations. To attend in- person meetings workers must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test and our team conducts pre-symptom screenings before they enter space as well as a mask mandate through the whole meeting time (only can take masks off during dinner time). We continue to adjust the program as new guidelines come out and also through discussions with the workers with their input on how to keep us all safe. We also encourage employers we match to also pre-screen themselves for symptoms before letting workers enter their home and to let us know if they need to reschedule if they have symptoms or COVID+.
Lastly, all services provided in person we still require community members to wear a mask and we provide one if they do not have one.
One challenge that will need to be looked at in the next year is the OWC employer base and expanding our education on why the pay scale the workers set is important and how they play a role in providing dignified jobs. We hope now that we are coming out the pandemic we can resume door hanger campaigns with the workers to spread the word about the program.
E. Describe lessons learned from the program.
We know that doing direct outreach to day laborers at the stops will continue to be practiced because it's meeting the community where they are at. As COVID becomes one more thing to be aware of we are seeing many other issues that are more concerning. We have learned that our efforts do not go unnoticed by this community as we witness time and time again the way the workers support one another regarding rights overall. We have seen how providing a space for workers like the Oakland Workers Collective has created a small community of informed workers and empowered workers. This program continues to be a fabric of this city to support this community that otherwise other organizations would not support. Our strong partnerships and help create visibility of this community to those organizations and other stakeholders is key for others to learn about this community and not just about the needs but how to serve this community that faces language barriers, literacy issues, immigration status barriers, and others.