OAKLAND WORKERS’ COLLECTIVE

OAKLAND WORKERS’ COLLECTIVE BLOG

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Meet Rogelio! Oakland Workers' Collective and day laborer. 

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Meet Victor! Oakland Workers' Collective member and day laborer.

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Meet Carlos! Oakland Workers' Collective member and day laborer. 

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Meet Ludyn! Oakland Workers' Collective member and day laborer.

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Meet Toribio! Oakland Workers' Collective member and day laborer.

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Meet Higinio! Member of the Oakland Workers' Collective and day laborer. 

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Meet Romilio! Oakland Workers' Collective member and day laborer. 

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AB60 DMV Hearing

“While Washington waffles on immigration reform, California’s forging ahead. I’m not waiting”

–Governor Jerry Brown

Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill 60 into law in 2013. This will give undocumented immigrants in California the opportunity to apply for Driver’s Licenses. At the moment the goal is for the bill to be fully implemented by January 1, 2015. However, there are still some worries over some of the regulations.

The DMV held a public hearing at the CalTrans office in Oakland on June 26th to receive comments from the community on the proposed regulations for implementation.

Some of the members of the collective were able to go out to the hearing and speak on behalf of themselves and the greater communities they are part of. The workers emphasized how it is very important to them to be active citizens and to advocate for this bill. The biggest recurring theme in individuals’ comments was how the list of documents accepted for the drivers’ license application and used to prove identity and residency should be expanded. For example, it was suggested that expired IDs, such as Mexican Consulate cards, should be accepted as some people really do not have the means to renew them due to costs. An example of another suggestion given was how identification cards made by community organizations or municipal IDs should also be accepted.

Other concerns the community have include maintaining the confidentiality of the information provided as well as preventing discrimination once these licenses are implemented since they will be marked and thus differentiated from average ones. Yet, the DMV representatives at this hearing did not allow comments on these concerns because they argued that these issues were not in their hands but in the hands of the government.  

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Celebrating Father's Day

The Oakland Workers’ Collective celebrated El Día del Padre, Father’s Day, on June 17th right before the usual Tuesday member meeting started. Although it was scheduled at this time to encourage the members of the collective to attend, everyone was welcome. The event was announced to other day laborers during outreach at the different corners where they search for work. While the celebration occurred two days after the official date celebrated in the U.S., it nicely coincided with the date celebrated in many Central American countries.

Dona Gloria, the weekly cook for the meetings’ dinners, went all out for this celebration. Everyone appreciated the wonderful food. Another volunteer, Victor, coordinated a very meaningful conversation about the significance of Father’s Day. The seats in the room were set up in a circular formation and everyone shared something about the father figure in their lives of lack thereof. After each individual spoke Victor would light a candle in honor of the person’s father figure. There was recognition of how a father figure does not need to be biologically related and also of how the workers strive to be the best fathers they can be. Most of the workers involved in the collective have kids, although in most cases their kids are not currently with them and instead live in their home country. One of the members in the collective was especially touched by this celebration and shared a bit about his experience being a more recent immigrant to the U.S. and finally spending a Father’s Day with his father—also a member of the collective—after eleven years apart! It was a beautiful moment.

The night concluded with a raffle. Gift cards to the Dollar Tree, El Pollo Loco, and FoodMaxx were raffled. All in all, this Father’s Day Celebration was a great community event.

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OAKLAND WORKERS' COLLECTIVE MEMBER: MEET JOSE

One of our members, Jose Sanchez, describes his experiences as an immigrant living in Oakland. He also discusses how being a part of the Collective has impacted him.

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Weekly Tuesday Meetings

A big component of being part of the Oakland Workers' Collective are the weekly meetings held on Tuesdays from 5-7PM. These meetings provide a space for the workers to discuss issues they are facing as well as a space to advocate for themselves and policies they care about.

Occupational health and safety workshops are regularly provided during this meeting time. Past topics have included safety lifting techniques, how to plan a move, and identifying potential work risks.

Most recently, one of our partner organizations, Causa Justa :: Just Cause, has developed a multi-week curriculum for trainings on leadership development and political organizing for our OWC members. Causa Justa :: Just Cause specifically works to empower low-income communities of color to fight for social justice.

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¡Bienvenidos! Welcome!

Welcome to our new blog for the Oakland Workers' Collective!

On here we will share various events going on in our community as well as other helpful information, including:

-Before and after photos of some projects completed by the workers

-Stories from members of the Collective

-Summaries of the different trainings the workers receive

-Reviews from employers

                     ....and More!

Make sure to check back regularly to learn more about the Oakland Workers' Collective, its members, work, and fun events!